LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
RIVERSIDE 


A 


THE  COMING  OF  THE  LAW 


"WHAT  HAVE  YOU  DONE  WITH  HOLLIS,  YOU  MANGY 
SON-OF-A-GUN  ?"   HE  DEMANDED. 


THE  COMING 
OF 


THE  LAW 


BY 

CHARLES  ALDEN  SELTZER 

*** 

AUTHOR  OF  ''THE  RANGE-RIDERS,"  "Teg  Two-Gun  MAN," 
"THE  TRIANGLE  CUPID,"  ETC. 

Frontispiece  in  Color  by  R.  W.  Atnick 


NEW  YORK 
OUTING  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

MCMXII 


COPYRIGHT,  1912,  BY 
OUTING  PUBLISHING  COMPANY. 

All  rights  reserved. 


First  printing,  August,  1912 
Second  printing,  September,  1912 


CONTENTS 


»AGK 

I.  THE  ARRIVAL  OP  THE  MAN     ....  9 

II.  THE  RULE  OF  CATTLE         25 

III.  NORTON  MAKES  A  DISCOVERY        ...  42 

IV.  AT  THE  CIRCLE  BAR 53 

V.  THE  GIRL  OF  DRY  BOTTOM     ....  73 

VI.  HOLLIS  RENEWS  AN  ACQUAINTANCE      .      .  87 

VII.  THE  "  KICKER  "  BECOMES  AN  INSTITUTION  107 

VIII.  CONCERNING  THE  "Six  O'CLOCK"     .      .  119 
IX.  How  A  BAD  MAN  LEFT  THE  "  KICKER  " 

OFFICE 127 

X.  THE  LOST  TRAIL 151 

XI.  PICKING  UP  THE  TRAIL 161 

XII.  AFTER   THE    STORM 169 

XIII.  "  WOMAN — SHE  DON'T  NEED  No  TOOTER  "  177 

XIV.  THE    COALITION 187 

XV.  To   SUPPORT  THE  LAW 198 

XVI.  THE  BEARER  OF  GOOD  NEWS         .      .      .  209 

XVII.  THE  RUSTLER 224 

XVIII.  THE  TENTH  DAY 238 

XIX.  How  A  RUSTLER  ESCAPED          ....  246 

XX.  THE    "KICKER'S"    CANDIDATE       .      .      .  257 

XXI.  DUNLAVEY  PLAYS  A  CARD         ....  267 
5 


6  CONTENTS 

XXII.  PROOF   op   GRATITUDE         280 

XXIII.  TEN  SPOT  USES  His  EYES       -.,     .,     .      .  289 

XXIV.  CAMPAIGN  GUNS      ....     ..,     .     .  294 

XXV.  HANDLING  THE  LAW     .     .     ...     .     .     .  314 

XXVI.  AUTUMN  AND  THE  GODS       .      ..     .;     .     ,..  327 

XXVII.  THE  SEAR  AND  YELLOW  DAYS       ...     .      .  336 

XXVIII.  IN  DEFIANCE  OF  THE  LAW     ....  342 

XXIX.  THE  ARM  OF  THE  LAW     .....  354 

XXX.  FORMING  A   FRIENDSHIP      ....      .  364 

XXXI.  AFTERWARD     .     .     .-     .-     .:     .      .     -.-.     .  375 


THE  COMING  OF  THE  LAW 


THE  COMING  OF 
THE  LAW 


CHAPTER  I 


IF  the  passengers  on  the  west-bound  train  that 
pulled  up  at  the  little  red  wooden  station 
at  Dry  Bottom  at  the  close  of  a  June  day  in 
18 — ,  were  interested  in  the  young  man  bearing 
the  two  suit  cases,  they  gave  no  evidence  of  it. 
True,  they  noted  his  departure;  with  casual 
glances  they  watched  him  as  he  stepped  down 
upon  the  platform ;  but  immediately  they  forgot 
his  athletic  figure  and  his  regular  featured,  seri 
ous  face  as  their  thoughts  returned  to  the  heat, 
the  dust,  and  the  monotony  of  travel. 

There  was  the  usual  bustle  and  activity  which 
always  follows  the  arrival  of  a  train.  A  mail  bag 
was  dumped  out  of  the  mail  car,  another  thrown 
in ;  some  express  packages  were  unceremoniously 
deposited  near  the  door  of  the  station  by  the 
agent;  the  conductor  ran  to  the  telegrapher's 

9 


10      THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

window  to  receive  an  order;  ran  back,  signaling 
as  he  ran;  the  engine  bell  clanged,  the  drivers 
clanked,  the  wheels  ground,  the  passengers 
sighed,  and  the  train  departed  on  its  way. 

The  young  man  who  had  alighted  stood  mo 
tionless  for  a  moment,  listening  to  the  clatter  of 
the  wheels  over  the  rail- joints,  watching  the 
smoke  from  the  engine-stack  befoul  the  clear  blue 
of  the  sky.  Then  he  smiled  grimly,  threw  a  rapid 
glance  toward  a  group  of  loungers  standing  at 
a  corner  of  the  station,  and  walked  over  to  where 
the  station  agent  stood  examining  some  newly 
arrived  packages. 

"  Do  you  mind  directing  me  to  the  court 
house?"  said  the  young  man. 

The  agent  looked  up,  turned,  and  ran  a  meas 
uring,  speculative  eye  over  the  new  arrival.  He 
noted  the  Eastern  cut  of  the  young  man's  cloth 
ing  and  beneath  the  dust  of  travel  the  clear, 
healthy  white  skin  of  his  face.  "  Stranger 
here?  "  observed  the  agent,  with  a  slight,  humor 
ous  narrowing  of  the  eyes. 

"  Yes." 

"  No,  I  don't  mind,"  resumed  the  agent,  an 
swering  the  young  man's  question.  '  You  won't 
have  any  trouble  findin'  the  courthouse.  There's 
only  one  street  in  this  town  an'  the  courthouse 
is  down  to  the  other  end  of  it — you  couldn't  miss 


THE  ARRIVAL   OF   THE   MAN    H 

it  if  you  tried."  He  grinned  with  some  amuse 
ment  at  the  young  man's  back  as  the  latter  with  a 
cordial  "  thank  you,"  returned  to  his  suit  cases, 
gripped  them  firmly  by  the  handles,  and  strode 
down  the  wooden  platform  toward  the  street, 
ignoring  the  group  of  loungers  at  the  corner  of 
the  station. 

" '  Nother  tenderfoot,"  remarked  one  of  the 
loungers  as  the  young  man  passed  out  of  hearing ; 
"  they're  runnin'  this  country  plum  to  hell !  " 

The  young  man  strode  slowly  down  the  board 
sidewalk  that  paralleled  the  buildings  on  one  side 
of  the  street,  mentally  taking  in  the  dimensions 
of  the  town.  It  was  not  an  inviting  picture. 
Many  buildings  of  various  descriptions  snug 
gled  the  wide,  vacant  space  which  the  station 
agent  had  termed  a  "  street."  Most  of  the 
buildings  were  unpainted  and  crude,  composed 
of  rough  boards  running  perpendicularly,  with 
narrow  battens  over  the  joints.  There  were  sev 
eral  brick  buildings  two  stories  in  height,  bearing 
the  appearance  of  having  been  recently  erected, 
and  these  towered  over  the  squat,  one-story 
frames  in  seeming  contemptuous  dignity.  There 
were  many  private  dwellings,  some  stores,  but 
the  young  man's  first  impression  was  that  there 
was  an  enormous  number  of  saloons. 

He  saw  few  people;  those  who  came  within 


12      THE   COMING   OF   THE  UAW 

range  of  vision  were  apparently  cowboys,  for  they 
were  rigged  in  the  picturesque  garb  that  he  had 
studied  many  times  in  the  illustrations  of  Eastern 
magazines.  He  had  admired  them  afar,  for  there 
was  something  about  them,  something  in  the  free, 
wild  life  they  led,  that  appealed  to  him;  some 
thing  that  struck  at  the  primitive  in  his  heart. 
He  had  heard  tales  of  them;  travelers  returning 
from  these  regions  had  related  sundry  stories  of 
these  wild  men  of  the  plains ;  stories  of  their  hardi 
hood,  of  their  recklessness,  of  their  absolute  fear 
lessness — clothing  them  with  a  glamor  and  ro 
mance  that  had  deeply  impressed  the  young  man. 
His  own  life  had  been  rather  prosaic. 

He  saw  some  cowponies  hitched  to  rails  in  front 
of  several  of  the  saloons;  in  front  of  a  store  he 
observed  a  canvas-covered  wagon  which  he  recog 
nized  (from  sketches  he  had  seen)  as  a  "  prairie 
schooner  " ;  in  front  of  another  store  he  saw  a 
spring  wagon  of  the  "  buckboard "  variety. 
That  was  all.  The  aroma  of  sage-brush  filled 
his  nostrils;  the  fine,  flint-like,  powdered  alkali 
dust  lay  thick  everywhere.  It  was  unattractive 
and  dismal. 

The  town,  as  it  lay  before  him,  began  in  deso 
lation  and  ended  in  desolation.  Except  that  it 
was  a  trifle  larger  it  differed  in  no  important  par 
ticular  from  many  others  that  littered  the  face 


of  the  world  through  which  he  had  passed  dur 
ing  the  last  twenty-four  hours.  It  was  a  mere 
dot  in  the  center  of  a  flat  grass  country  covering 
a  vast  area.  It  sat,  serene  in  its  isolation,  as 
far  from  civilization  as  Genesis  from  Revela 
tion.  In  the  stifling  heat  of  the  lazy  June  after 
noon  it  drowsed,  seemingly  deserted  except  for 
the  ponies  and  the  two  wagons,  and  the  few  in 
curious  cowboys  who  had  rewarded  the  young 
man  with  their  glances.  Apparently  whatever 
citizens  were  here  were  busy  in  the  saloons.  As 
this  thought  flashed  upon  the  young  man  his  lips 
straightened  grimly.  But  he  continued  slowly 
on  his  way,  giving  much  attention  to  objects  that 
came  within  his  range  of  vision.  The  more  he 
saw  of  the  town,  the  less  pleased  he  was  with  it. 
The  suit  cases  were  heavy;  he  paused  in  front 
of  a  building  and  set  them  down,  while  with  his 
handkerchief  he  mopped  the  dust  and  perspira 
tion  from  his  forehead.  He  saw  a  flaring  sign  on 
the  roof  of  the  building  in  front  of  which  he  had 
stopped  and  he  read  the  legend  with  a  smile  of 
derision:  "The  Fashion  Saloon."  Several 
ponies  were  hitched  to  the  rail  in  front  of  the 
building;  the  bridle  of  one  was  gaily  decorated 
with  a  bow  of  ribbon.  Only  a  woman  would 
have  decorated  a  pony  thus,  the  young  man  de 
cided  with  a  smile.  Yet  what  sort  of  woman 


14       THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

would  hitch  her  pony  in  front  of  a  saloon?  He 
looked  about  him  for  some  explanation  and  saw 
a  vacant  space  beside  him  and  beside  the  vacant 
space  a  store.  There  was  no  hitching  rail  in  front 
of  the  store,  therefore  here  was  the  explanation. 
He  heard  a  sound  behind  him  and  turning  he 
beheld  the  figures  of  a  man  and  a  woman  in  the 
vacant  space  between  the  two  buildings. 

The  woman  seemed  to  be  little  more  than  a 
girl,  for  as  the  young  man  watched  she  turned 
slightly  toward  him — though  not  seeing  him — 
and  he  saw  youth  pictured  on  her  face,  and  inno 
cence,  though  withal  she  gave  the  young  man  an 
impression  of  sturdy  self-reliance  that  awakened 
instant  admiration  for  her  in  his  mind. 

She  was  attired  in  picturesque  costume,  con 
sisting  of  short  riding  skirt,  boots,  felt  hat,  woolen 
blouse  with  a  flowing  tie  at  the  throat,  gloves, 
and  spurs.  It  was  not  the  sort  of  thing  to  which 
the  young  man  was  accustomed,  but  she  made  an 
attractive  picture  and  he  took  in  every  detail  of 
her  appearance  with  eager  eyes. 

It  was  some  time  before  he  noticed  the  man. 
The  latter  stood  facing  the  girl  and  he  could  not 
get  a  view  of  his  face.  He  had  a  gigantic  frame, 
with  huge  shoulders  that  loomed  above  the  girl, 
dwarfing  her.  The  young  man  remained  mo 
tionless,  watching  the  two,  for  there  was  some- 


THE  ARRIVAL  OF  THE  MAN.      15 

thing  in  the  big  man's  attitude  that  held  him. 
The  man  turned  presently  and  the  young  man 
had  a  glimpse  of  his  face.  It  was  heavy  fea 
tured,  coarse,  and  an  unmistakable  brutality  was 
betrayed  in  it.  The  young  man's  lips  curled. 
He  did  not  like  the  type,  and  it  was  the  girl's 
face  that  held  him  now  that  he  had  seen  the  man's. 

He  leaned  easily  against  the  front  of  the  build 
ing,  not  over  fifteen  feet  distant  from  the  two, 
trying  to  appear  uninterested,  but  not  concealing 
his  interest.  He  believed  the  girl  had  not  seen 
him,  for  though  she  had  looked  in  his  direction 
he  was  sure  that  her  glance  had  passed  him  to 
rest  on  the  pony  at  the  hitching  rail.  Swift  as 
the  glance  had  been  the  young  man  had  seen 
in  her  face  an  expression  that  caused,  him  to 
decide  to  remain  where  he  was  until  the  girl 
mounted  her  pony,  no  matter  how  long  that  time 
might  be.  So  he  relaxed,  leaning  against  the 
building — attentive,  listening,  though  apparently 
entirely  unconcerned  over  their  conversation. 

The  girl  seemed  moved  with  some  deep  emo 
tion  over  something  the  big  man  had  said,  for  her 
slight  figure  had  stiffened  and  she  stood  looking 
at  him  with  an  angry,  intense  gaze.  The  big 
man  had  been  taunting  her,  for  his  teeth  showed 
in  a  mocking  grin  as  he  hovered  near  her,  appar 
ently  sure  of  her.  It  was  like  a  lion  playing  with 


16       THE   COMING  OF.   THE  LAW 

a  mouse.  Then  the  young  man  heard  the  big 
man's  voice: 

"  So  you  don't  take  kindly  to  my  courting? 
Don't  want  anything  to  do  with  me  at  all?" 
His  forced  laugh  had  a  harshness  in  it  that 
caused  the  young  man's  muscles  to  stiffen.  He 
took  a  sly  glance  at  the  girl  and  saw  her  chin 
uplift  with  disdain. 

"  Do  you  think  it  necessary;  for  me  to  tell  you 
that — again? "  she  said. 

A  strange  satisfaction  thrilled  the  young  man; 
sympathy  for  her  drew  his  mouth  into  a  pecu 
liarly  grim  smile.  But  he  had  no  time  to  enjoy 
his  satisfaction  for  the  big  man  spoke  and  this 
time  he  did  not  laugh. 

"  Well,"  he  said  shortly,  "  you're  going  to  have 
something  to  do  with  me.  You're  going  to  hook 
up  with  me  or  I'm  putting  that  crazy  brother 
of  yours  out  of  business !  " 

The  girl  was  suddenly  rigid  and  a  deep  red 
as  suddenly  suffused  her  cheeks.  The  young 
man's  face  paled  at  the  threat,  his  teeth  came 
together  with  a  snap,  and  he  leaned  forward, 
wishing  to  hear  some  more  of  this  extraordinary 
conversation.  More  of  it  came  quickly.  The 
girl  spoke,  her  voice  even  and  well  controlled, 
though  burdened  with  a  biting  sarcasm: 

"  What  a  terrible  man  you  are,  to  be  sure,  to 


THE  ARRIVAL  OF  THE  MANt      17 

threaten  to  make  war  upon  a  defenseless  girl  and 
her  afflicted  brother.  But  I'm  not  afraid  of 
you!" 

She  toot  a  step  toward  him,  standing  very 
close  to  him  and  looking  straight  into  his  eyes. 
She  was  fighting  bravely  for  her  composure,  but 
the  young  man  had  seen  that  her  lips  had  quiv 
ered  pitifully  during  her  brief  speech.  He  stif 
fened  with  sympathy.  He  could  not,  of  course, 
understand  this  strange  conversation,  but  he 
could  discern  its  drift,  and  the  suggestive  under 
play  in  the  big  man's  words.  But  plainly  he 
had  not  been  mistaken  in  his  estimate  of  the 
young  woman — she  seemed  entirely  able  to  take 
care  of  herself. 

He  crowded  a  little  closer,  though  he  knew  that 
this  conversation  was  none  of  his  affair  further 
than  that  he  was  interested — as  any  man  would 
be  interested — in  seeing  that  the  young  woman 
received  decent  treatment.  Certainly  so  far  she 
had  not  received  that,  yet  neither  had  the  big 
man  said  anything  to  warrant  interference  by  a 
stranger.  Stealing  another  glance,  the  young 
man  saw  a  heavy  revolver  at  the  man's  hip,  and 
he  did  not  doubt,  from  what  he  had  thus  far  seen 
of  him,  that  he  would  use  the  weapon  should 
he  turn  and  discover  that  there  was  a  listener  to 
his  conversation.  Such  an  action  would  accord 


18       THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

perfectly  with  tales  that  the  young  man  had  heard 
of  this  section  of  the  country.  But  he  edged 
closer. 

The  big  man's  face  had  become  poisonously 
bloated.  The  girl's  defiance  seemed  to  have  en 
raged  him. 

"  Hell !  "  he  said  venomously.  "  You're  talk 
ing  damn  brave ! "  He  leaned  closer  to  her. 
"  And  you  think  you'd  be  disgraced  if  folks 
knowed  you  was  a  friend  of  mine?  "  He  laughed 
harshly.  "  Most  folks  are  tickled  to  be  known 
as  my  friend.  But  I'm  telling  you  this:  If  I 
ain't  a  friend  I'm  an  enemy,  and  you're  doing 
as  I  say  or  I'm  making  things  mighty  un 
pleasant  for  you  and  your  poor,  *  afflicted ' 
brother!" 

The  young  man  saw  the  girl's  hands  clench, 
saw  her  face  grow  slowly  pale.  Twice  now  had 
the  big  man  taunted  her  about  her  brother,  and 
plainly  his  words  had  hurt  her.  Words  trem 
bled  on  her  lips  but  refused  to  come.  But  for 
an  instant  she  forced  her  eyes  to  meet  those  of 
the  man  and  then  they  suddenly  filled  with  tears. 
She  took  a  backward  step,  her  shoulders  droop 
ing.  The  big  man  followed  her,  gloating  over 
her.  Again  the  young  man's  thoughts  went  to 
the  lion  and  the  mouse. 

"  Hurts,  does  it?  "  said  the  big  man,  brutally. 


THE  ARRIVAL  OF  THE  MAN      19 

"  Well,  you've  brought  it  on  yourself,  being  such 
a  damn  prude! " 

He  reached  out  and  grasped  her  by  the  shoul 
der.  She  shrank  back,  struggling  with  him,  try 
ing  to  grasp  the  butt  of  an  ivory-handled  re 
volver  that  swung  at  her  right  hip.  The  big 
man  pinned  her  arms  and  the  effort  was 
futile. 

And  then  retribution — like  an  avalanche — 
struck  the  big  man.  He  heard  the  movement, 
sensed  the  danger,  and  flung  his  right  hand  to 
ward  his  pistol  butt.  There  was  a  silent  strug 
gle;  a  shot,  one  of  the  young  man's  arms  swung 
out — flail  like — the  clenched  hand  landing  with 
a  crash.  The  big  man  went  down  like  a  fall 
ing  tree — prone  to  the  ground,  his  revolver  fly 
ing  ten  feet  distant,  a  little  blue-white  smoke 
curling  lazily  upward  out  of  its  muzzle.  The 
big  man  was  raised  again — bodily — and  hurled 
down  again.  He  lay  face  upward  in  the  white 
sunlight — a  mass  of  bruised  and  bleeding  flesh. 

The  young  man's  anger  had  come  and  gone. 
He  stood  over  the  big  man,  looking  down  at 
him,  his  white  teeth  gleaming  through  his  slightly 
parted  lips. 

"  I  think  that  will  do  for  you,"  he  said  in  an 
even,  passionless  voice. 

For  an  instant  there  was  a  tense  silence.    The 


20       THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

young  man  turned  and  looked  at  the  girl,  who 
was  regarding  him  with  surprised  and  bewild 
ered  eyes. 

The  young  man  smiled  mirthlessly.  "  I  think 
I  waited  rather  too  long.  But  he  won't  bother 
you  again — at  least  for  a  few  minutes." 

He  saw  the  girl's  gaze  directed  to  a  point 
somewhere  behind  him  and  he  turned  to  see  that 
a  door  in  the  side  of  the  Fashion  Saloon  was 
vomiting  men.  They  came  rushing  out,  filling 
the  space  between  the  two  buildings — cowboys 
mostly,  with  a  sprinkling  of  other  men  whose 
appearance  and  attire  proclaimed  them  citizens. 
The  young  man  stood  silent  while  the  newcom 
ers  ranged  themselves  about  him,  others  giving 
their  attention  to  the  big  man  who  still  lay  on 
the  ground.  The  girl  had  not  moved;  she  was 
standing  near  the  young  man,  her  face  pale,  her 
slight  figure  rigid,  her  eyes  wide  and  flashing. 
The  young  man  looked  from  her  to  the  men  who 
had  crowded  about  him  and  he  became  aware 
that  one  of  the  men — a  slender,  olive-skinned 
cowboy — evidently  a  half-breed — was  speaking 
to  him.  He  stood  looking  at  the  man,  saw  men 
ace  in  his  eyes,  heard  his  voice,  writhing  in  pro 
fane  accusation: 

"  So  you've  shot  Beeg  Beel,  you  tender 
foot  !  "  said  the  man.  His  right  hand 


THE  ^ARRIVAL  OF  THE  MAN      21 

was  hooked  in  his  cartridge  belt,  near  the  butt  of 
his  six-shooter. 

The  young  man  had  been  coldly  scrutinizing 
the  face  of  the  half-breed;  he  had  seen  a  sneer 
ing  insolence  on  the  thin,  snarling  lips,  and  he 
knew  instantly  that  this  man  was  a  friend  of  his 
fallen  adversary.  He  had  smiled  grimly  when 
the  man  had  begun  speaking,  being  willing  to 
argue  the  justice  of  his  action  in  striking  the  big 
man,  but  at  the  man's  vile  insult  his  white  teeth 
gleamed  again  and  his  right  arm  flew  out — like  a 
flail — the  fist  crashing  against  the  half-breed's 
jaw.  Like  the  big  man  the  half-breed  col 
lapsed  in  a  heap  on  the  ground.  There  was  a 
sudden  movement  in  the  crowd,  and  pistols 
flashed  in  the  sunlight.  The  young  man  took  a 
backward  step,  halted,  drew  himself  up  and 
faced  them,  his  lips  curling. 

"  Of  course  you'll  shoot  now,"  he  said  bit 
terly. 

He  heard  a  rustle  beside  him,  and  turned  to 
see  the  girl  standing  within  a  foot  of  him,  the 
ivory-handled  pistol  in  hand,  her  eyes  flashing 
coldly. 

"  I  don't  think  that  any  of  them  are  going 
to  shoot,"  she  declared  evenly,  her  voice  resound 
ing  in  the  sudden  silence  that  had  fallen ;  "  Big 
Bill  got  just  what  he  deserved,  and  this  gentle- 


22       THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

man  will  not  be  molested.  He  isn't  armed,"  she 
said,  with  a  dry  laugh;  "  shooting  him  would  be 
murder,  and  if  he  is  shot  I  promise  to  avenge 
him  immediately."  She  turned  slightly,  speak 
ing  to  the  young  man  while  keeping  her  eyes  on 
the  men  around  her.  During  the  pause  that  fol 
lowed  her  words  several  of  the  men  stealthily 
sheathed  their  weapons  and  stepped  back. 

"  I  think  Big  Bill  is  able  to  fight  his  own 
battles,"  continued  the  girl,  taking  advantage 
of  the  evident  reluctance  of  the  men  to  force 
trouble. 

Her  face  became  slightly  paler  as  she  saw  the 
big  man  sit  up  and  stare  about  him.  He  got 
to  his  feet  and  stood,  swaying  dizzily  for  an  in 
stant,  and  then  his  gaze  sought  out  the  young 
man  and  was  fixed  on  him  with  foreboding  ma- 
lignance.  His  right  hand  fell  to  his  holster,  and 
finding  no  weapon  there  he  turned  and  sought  it, 
finding  it,  and  returning  to  a  point  near  the 
young  man,  the  weapon  in  hand.  As  he  halted 
there  was  another  movement  and  the  half-breed 
was  on  his  feet  and  dragging  at  his  revolver. 
The  young  man  crouched,  prepared  to  spring, 
and  the  big  man  spoke  sharply  to  the  half-breed. 

"  Quit  it !  "  he  said,  snarling.  "  Mind  your 
own  business !  "  Then  he  seemed  to  realize  that 
the  half-breed  had  been  worsted  also,  for  he 


THE  ARRIFAL  OF  THE  MAN     23 

looked  at  the  latter,  saw  the  dust  on  his  clothing 
and  grinned  expressively. 

"  So  he  got  you  too,  did  he,  Yuma?  "  His 
heavy  features  wreathed  into  a  mocking  sneer  as 
he  faced  the  young  man. 

"  Knocked  me  down ! "  he  said  in  a  silky,  everi 
voice.  "  Knocked  me  cold  with  a  punch. 
Knocked  Yuma  Ed  down  too!"  He  took  an 
other  step  toward  the  young  man  and  surveyed 
him  critically,  his  eyes  glinting  with  something 
very  near  amusement.  Then  he  stepped  back, 
laughing  shortly. 

"  I  ain't  shooting  you,"  he  said.  "  I've  got  an 
idea  that  you  and  me  will  meet  again."  There 
was  an  ominous  threat  in  his  voice  as  he  contin 
ued  :  "  Shooting  you  wouldn't  half  pay  you  back; 
Mark  that,  young  man — shooting  you  wouldn't 
half  pay  you  back." 

He  stepped  away  from  the  young  man,  mo 
tioning  the  other  men  into  the  door  through  which 
they  had  emerged  to  come  to  his  assistance,  and 
they  filed  slowly  in  without  protest.  The  big 
man  paused  long  enough  to  look  again  at  the 
young  man. 

"Knocked  me  down!"  he  said  as  though 
scarcely  able  to  realize  the  truth;  "knocked  me 
cold  with  a  punch ! "  He  laughed,  his  coarse 
features  twisting  into  an  odd  expression.  "  Well, 


24       THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

I'll  be  damned! "  He  turned  abruptly  and  dis 
appeared  through  the  door  through  which  the 
other  men  had  gone. 

For  an  instant  the  young  man  stood,  looking 
after  him.  Then  he  turned  and  saw  the  young 
woman,  standing  near  her  pony,  regarding  him 
with  grave  eyes. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said.  He  caught  a  flash 
ing  smile  and  then  she  was  in  the  saddle,  loping 
her  pony  down  the  street  toward  the  station. 
For  a  moment  the  young  man  looked  after  her 
and  then  with  a  smile  he  returned  to  his  suit 
cases  and  was  off  down  the  street  toward  the 
courthouse,  which  he  saw  in  the  distance. 


CHAPTER   II 

THE  RULE  OF  CATTLE 

THE  courthouse  was  a  low,  one-story  red 
brick  building,  sitting  well  back  from  the 
street.  It  was  evidently  newly  built,  for 
an  accumulation  of  debris,  left  by  the  workmen, 
still  littered  the  ground  in  the  vicinity.  A  board 
walk  led  from  the  street  to  the  wide,  arched  en 
trance.  From  the  steps  one  could  look  down 
the  street  at  the  station  and  the  other  buildings 
squatting  in  the  sunlight,  dingy  with  the  dust 
of  many  dry  days.  Except  for  the  cowponies 
and  the  buckboard  and  the  prairie  schooner  there 
was  a  total  absence  of  life  or  movement,  offering 
a  striking  contrast  to  the  bustling  cities  to  which 
the  young  man  had  been  accustomed. 

He  walked  rapidly  down  the  board  walk,  en 
tered  the  courthouse,  and  paused  before  a  door 
upon  which  appeared  the  legend:  :t  United 
States  District  Court.  J.  Blackstone  Graney." 
The  young  man  set  his  suit  cases  down,  mopped 
his  forehead  with  his  handkerchief,  making  a 
wry  face  at  the  dust  that  appeared  on  the  linen 
after  his  use  of  it,  and  then  knocked  lightly,  but 

25 


26       THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

firmly,  on  the  door.  A  voice  inside  immediately 
admonished  him  to  "  come  in."  The  young  man 
smiled  with  satisfaction,  turned  the  knob  and 
opened  the  door,  standing  on  the  threshold.  A 
man  seated  at  one  of  the  windows  of  the  room 
was  gazing  steadily  out  at  the  vast,  dry,  sun- 
scorched  country.  He  turned  at  the  young 
man's  entrance  and  got  slowly  to  his  feet,  appar 
ently  waiting  for  the  visitor  to  speak.  He  was 
a  short  man,  not  heavily,  but  stockily  built,  giv 
ing  a  clear  impression  of  stolidity.  Yet  there 
was  a  certain  gleam  in  his  eyes  that  gave  the  lie 
to  this  impression,  a  gleam  that  warned  of  an 
active,  analytical  mind.  Judicial  dignity  lurked 
all  over  him. 

The  young  man  bowed  respectfully.  "Are 
you  Judge  Graney?  "  he  questioned. 

The  judge  nodded  and  the  young  man  smiled 
slightly.  "  I  am  Kent  Hollis,"  he  said. 

The  judge  had  been  approaching  a  big  table 
that  stood  in  the  center  of  the  room  and  at  the 
young  man's  words  he  took  a  second  glance  at 
him,  but  did  not  hesitate  in  his  walk  toward  the 
table.  However,  he  smiled  when  he  reached  it, 
sinking  into  a  chair  and  motioning  the  young 
man  to  another. 

'  I  have  been  expecting  you,"  he  said  after 
he  had  become  seated.  "  Take  a  chair."  He 


THE  RULE   OF   CATTLE         27 

waited  until  the  young  man  had  drawn  a  chair 
opposite  him  and  then  he  leaned  over  the  table 
and  stretched  out  his  hand  in  greeting.  "  I'm 
glad  to  see  you,"  he  continued  cordially.  He 
held  the  young  man's  hand  for  an  instant,  peer 
ing  steadily  into  the  latter's  unwavering  eyes, 
apparently  making  a  mental  estimate  of  him. 
Then  he  dropped  the  hand  and  sat  back,  a  half 
smile  on  his  face.  "  You  look  like  your  father," 
he  said. 

The  young  man's  face  clouded.  "  Poor  dad," 
he  said  slowly. 

For  a  moment  there  was  a  silence;  the  judge 
studied  the  young  man's  face.  Something  that 
he  saw  in  it  must  have  pleased  him,  for  he  smiled, 
becoming  serious  instantly. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  could  not  get  here  in  time," 
he  said.  "  We  buried  your  father  yesterday." 

"  I  couldn't  make  it,"  returned  the  young  man 
regretfully.  "  I  should  have  liked  to  see  him 
before  he  died.  Where  did  you  bury  him?  " 

"  We  took  him  out  to  his  ranch — the  Circle 
Bar,"  returned  the  judge,  "  where  he  said  he 
wanted  to  be  buried  when  he  died.  You'll  find 
that  the  Circle  Bar  boys  have  done  their  best 
for  him — which  was  little  enough.  Poor  fellow, 
he  deserved  something  better."  He  looked 
keenly  at  the  young  man. 


28      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

Lines  of  pain  came  into  the  latter's  face; 
he  bowed  his  head,  nodding  at  the  Judge's 
words. 

"  I  have  always  thought  that  it  was  his  own 
fault,"  he  said  gently.  "  It  might  have  been  dif 
ferent."  He  looked  slowly  up  at  the  judge,  his 
face  reddening  with  embarrassment.  "  Of  course 
you  know  something  of  his  life,"  he  said.  "  .You 
were  his  friend — he  wrote  me  a  while  back,  tell 
ing  me  that.  I  don't  pretend  to  know  what 
came  between  him  and  mother,"  he  continued; 
"  mother  would  never  tell  and  father  never  men 
tioned  it  in  his  letters.  I  have  thought  it  was 
drink,"  he  added,  watching  the  judge's  face 
closely.  He  caught  the  latter's  slight  nod  and 
his  lips  straightened.  "  Yes,  it  must  have  been 
drink,"  he  continued;  "  I  have  inferred  that  from 

what  mother  has  hinted  now  and  then.  But " 

and  a  wistful  gleam  came  into  his  eyes — "  I  have 
hoped  that  it  would  not  be  drink  that  would 
cause  his " 

He  caught  the  judge's  slow,  grave  nod  and 
he  broke  off  abruptly,  his  eyes  filling  with  an 
expression  of  resignation.  "  Well,"  he  said,  "  it 
is  ended,  no  matter  what  did  it."  He  shoved 
back  his  chair.  "  I  thank  you  for  what  you  did 
for  him,"  he  added,  rising ;  "  I  assure  you  that  if 
it  is  possible  for  me  to  repay " 


THE   RULE   OF   CATTLE         29 

"  Sit  down,"  said  the  judge,  waving  a  hand  to 
the  young  man's  chair.  "  No  thanks  are  due 
me.  I  did  only  what  any  friend  would  do  for 
another.  I  have  arranged  for  you  to  go  out  to 
the  Circle  Bar,"  he  informed  Hollis  as  the  latter 
hesitated  over  resuming  his  chair.  "  Neil  Nor 
ton,  your  range  boss,  is  to  be  here  at  six  o'clock 
with  the  buckboard."  He  consulted  his  watch. 
"  He  ought  to  be  here  in  half  an  hour — if  he  is 
on  time.  Meantime  there  are  some  things  I 
would  like  to  say  to  you." 

Hollis  smiled.     "  Fire  away,"  he  directed. 

The  judge  leaned  his  elbows  on  the  table  and 
narrowed  his  eyes  at  Hollis.  "  Don't  think  my 
questions  impertinent,"  he  said  gravely,  "  for  I 
assure  you  that  nothing  is  further  from  my  mind 
than  a  desire  to  pry  into  your  affairs.  But  I 
take  it  you  will  need  some  advice — which,  of 
course,  you  may  disregard  if  you  wish.  I  sup 
pose  you  don't  make  a  secret  of  your  age?  " 

"  No,"  was  the  instant  reply,  given  with  a 
grin,  "  I  am  twenty-six." 

The  judge  smiled  dryly.  "  We  have  great 
ambitions  at  twenty-six,"  he  said.  "  I  remem 
ber  that  at  twenty-six  I  was  rather  determined 
on  making  the  Supreme  bench.  You  can  see 
for  yourself  how  far  I  missed  it.  I  do  not  say 
that  we  never  realize  our  ambitions,"  he  added 


30      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

quickly  as  he  saw  a  flash  light  up  the  young 
man's  eyes;  "  I  merely  wish  to  show  that  in  my 
case  they  were  rather  extravagant."  He  grim 
aced,  continuing  with  a  smile :  "  You  are  a 
college  man,  of  course — I  can  see  that." 

Hollis  nodded.  The  judge  continued,  with  an 
admiring  glance  at  the  young  man's  muscular 
frame  and  broad  shoulders. 

'  Went  in  for  athletics — football,  and  such?  " 
he  said.  "  Well,"  he  added,  catching  the  young 
man's  nod,  "  it  didn't  hurt  you  a  particle — it 
doesn't  hurt  anybody.  Rather  prepares  a  man 
for  hard  knocks — which  he  is  sure  to  get  sooner 
or  later.  If  you  have  decided  to  live  in  this  coun 
try  you  must  expect  hard  knocks.  And  I  pre 
sume  you  are  going  to  live  here  ?  " 

"That  depends,"  returned  Hollis.  "If 
father  has  left  his  affairs  in  such  shape  that  it 
is  necessary  for  me  to  stay  here  and  straighten 
them  out,  why  of  course  I  shall  stay.  Other 
wise "  He  hesitated  and  laughed  quietly, 

continuing :  "  Well,  I  also  have  an  ambition, 
and  if  I  am  compelled  to  remain  here  it  will  have 
to  be  sacrificed.  It  is  a  rather  humble  ambition 
compared  to  yours,"  he  laughed.  "  It  is  jour 
nalism,"  he  continued,  suddenly  serious ;  "  I  want 
to  own  a  newspaper.  I  am  city  editor  now  and 
in  a  few  years "  He  laughed.  "  I  am  not 


THE   RULE   OF   CATTLE         31 

going  to  prophesy,  but  I  have  been  working 
hard." 

The  judge's  eyelashes  flickered,  but  his  face 
remained  grave.  "  I  am  afraid  that  you  will 
have  to  remain  here.  "  That  is  " — he  added  dryly 
— "  if  you  expect  to  realize  anything  from  the 
property." 

"  I  expect  there  can't  be  much  property,"  ob 
served  Hollis. 

The  judge  smiled.  "  A  thousand  acres  of 
good  grass  land,  some  buildings,  and  " — here  the 
judge's  eyes  gleamed  and  he  drawled  his  words — 
"  a  newspaper." 

Hollis  sat  erect.  "  A  newspaper !  "  he  gasped. 
"  A  newspaper  in  this  country?  Why,  man,  a 
newspaper " 

The  judge  laughed.  "So  you  will  not  have  to 
go  back  East  in  order  to  be  able  to  realize  your 
ambition — you  can  own  a  newspaper  here — your 
father's  newspaper — the  Dry  Bottom  Kicker. 
It  was  quite  a  recent  venture;  I  believe  it  ap 
peared  about  a  dozen  times — intermittently. 
Ostensibly  it  was  a  weekly,  but  in  reality  it  was 
printed  at  those  times  when  your  father's  afflic 
tion  sat  least  heavily  upon  him.  He  used  to 
hire  a  compositor  from  Las  Vegas  to  set  the  type, 
— a  man  named  Potter — a  worthless  sort  of  fel 
low,  but  a  genius  in  his  way — when  sober.  I 


32      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

suspect  that  much  of  the  matter  that  went  into 
the  Kicker,  emanated  from  the  brain  of  Dave 
Potter." 

Hollis's  smile  revealed  just  a  trace  of  derision. 
c  You  don't  happen  to  know  how  father  hap 
pened  to  think  that  a  newspaper  would  pay — in 
this  place?  "  he  asked. 

The  judge  looked  at  him  meditatively,  a  gleam 
of  quiet  amusement  in  his  eyes.  "  I  don't  re 
member  to  have  said  that  the  paper  made  any 
money  for  your  father,"  he  returned  slowly; 
"  nor  do  I  remember  hearing  your  father  say  that 
he  expected  it  to  make  any  money.  As  I  under 
stand  the  situation,  your  father  founded  the 
paper  on  principle.  He  expected  to  use  it  as  a 
weapon." 

"  Please  go  on,"  urged  Hollis.  "  That  strikes 
me  as  a  rather  Quixotic  proceeding." 

"  It  was,  rather,"  admitted  the  judge;  "that 
is,  it  would  seem  Quixotic  as  viewed  by  an  East 
ern  newspaper  man.  But  out  here  people  are 
apt  to  ignore  money  and  methods  in  considering 
results.  After  you  have  been  here  a  while  you 
will  be  able  to  see  the  force  and  truth  of  that 
statement.  Your  father  was  after  results  and  he 
seized  upon  the  idea  of  founding  a  newspaper 
as  a  means  by  which  to  obtain  them.  And  I  feel 
certain  that  had  he  lived  he  would  have  suc 
ceeded." 


THE  RULE   OF   CATTLE         33 

"  I  plead  ignorance,"  said  Hollis,  watching  the 
judge  closely.  "  What  particular  result  did  my 
father  desire?" 

Judge  Graney's  eyes  gleamed  with  earnest 
ness.  He  leaned  forward,  speaking  slowly  and 
distinctly. 

"  I  am  going  to  illustrate  my  point  by  giving 
you  a  brief  history  of  your  father's  experiences 
out  here — as  I  had  it  from  him.  He  came  out 
here  about  fifteen  years  ago  and  took  up  a  quar 
ter-section  of  land  over  on  Rabbit-Ear  Creek,  the 
present  site  of  the  Circle  Bar  ranch.  For  quite 
a  few  years  he  was  a  nester — as  the  small  owner 
is  called  in  this  country,  but  he  was  unmolested 
for  the  reason  that  there  were  few  large  owners 
in  the  vicinity  and  each  man  was  willing  that  his 
neighbor  should  succeed.  Your  father  pros 
pered  and  after  a  few  years  began  to  buy  land. 
He  finally  acquired  a  thousand  acres ;  he  told  me 
that  at  one  time  he  had  about  five  thousand  head 
of  cattle.  Of  course,  these  cattle  could  not  live 
on  your  father's  thousand  acres,  but  the  ranges 
are  free  and  the  thousand  acres  answered  very 
well  as  a  headquarters. 

"  Eight  years  ago  some  men  in  Santa  Fe  or 
ganized  what  is  known  as  the  Union  County  Cat 
tlemen's  Association.  This  company  secured  a 
section  of  land  adjoining  your  father's  property, 
bn  the  other  side  of  Rabbit-Ear  Creek.  The 


84      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

company  called  its  ranch  the  Circle  Cross.  Per 
haps  it  strikes  you  as  peculiar  that  the  Associa 
tion  should  have  chosen  a  brand  so  closely  resem 
bling  your  father's.  I  will  digress  long  enough 
to  explain  the  action." 

The  judge  drew  out  a  pencil  and  picked  up  a 
piece  of  paper  that  lay  near  him  on  the  desk, 
making  some  crude  hieroglyphics  and  poising  his 
pencil  above  them. 

"  Here,"  he  explained,  indicating  a  sketch 
which  he  had  drawn,  is  the  Circle  Bar  brand — a 
bar  within  a  circle.  And  this — indicating  an 
other  sketch, — is  the  Circle  Cross — a  cross  within 
a  circle.  It  is  of  course,  perfectly  obvious  that 
all  the  Circle  Cross  company  had  to  do  when  it 
desired  to  appropriate  one  of  the  Circle  Bar  cat 
tle  was  to  add  a  vertical  bar  to  the  Circle  Bar 
brand  and  the  brand  became  the  Circle  Cross. 
From  a  mechanical  standpoint  it  was  a  very  trif 
ling  operation,  the  manipulator  of  the  brands 
having  merely  to  apply  the  hot  iron  through  a 
piece  of  wet  blanket — that  gives  a  new  brand 
the  appearance  of  age. 

"  To  get  back  to  the  main  subject.  The  new 
company  called  its  ranch  the  Circle  Cross  and  it 
erected  new  buildings  within  a  few  miles  of  the 
Circle  Bar  buildings.  Not  long  after  the  advent 
of  the  new  company  it  tried  to  buy  the  Circle 


THE   RULE   OF   CATTLE         35 

Bar,  but  your  father  refused  to  sell.  Bill  Dun- 
lavey,  the  Circle  Cross  manager,  attempted  to 
negotiate  the  purchase  of  the  Circle  Bar  and  when 
he  was  met  with  refusal  hard  words  passed  be 
tween  him  and  your  father.  Not  long  after  that 
your  father  began  to  miss  cattle — rustlers  began 
a  systematic  attack  upon  his  herds.  Your  father 
recognized  this  thievery  as  the  work  of  the  Cat 
tlemen's  Association  and  he  fought  back. 

"  A  number  of  times  he  changed  his  brand, 
but  each  time  the  company  checkmated  him.  To 
illustrate:  Your  father  changed  his  brand  to 
appear  thus:  The  judge  drew  again  on  the 
paper.  "  That  is  the  '  Wine-Glass '  brand. 
You  can  see  that  it  resembles  a  wine  glass  when 
held  up  vertically,  though  of  course  as  it  appeared 
on  the  Circle  Bar  cattle  it  lay  on  its  side.  But 
this  move  was  futile,  for  among  the  Circle  Cross 
cattle  now  appeared  many  branded  with  the  sign 
of  the  *  Hour-Glass,'  thus:  The  judge  drew 
again.  "  This  was  achieved  by  merely  adding  a 
semi-circle  to  the  wine-glass,  closing  over  the 
bowl. 

"  As  I  have  said  your  father  altered  his  brand 
a  good  many  times.  But  the  Circle  Bar  cattle 
continued  to  disappear.  Years  of  warfare  fol 
lowed.  The  Cattlemen's  Association  lost  no  op 
portunity  to  harass  your  father,  or,  for  that  mat- 


ter,  all  the  other  small  owners  in  the  vicinity. 
Desperate,  dissolute  men  were  imported  from 
Texas  and  Arizona,  men  who  took  delight  in  the 
shedding  of  human  blood.  These  men  roamed 
the  ranges,  stealing  the  Circle  Bar  cattle  and  kill 
ing  Circle  Bar  cowboys.  Your  father  had  trou 
ble  in  keeping  men ;  in  order  to  surround  himself 
with  enough  men  to  protect  his  cattle  and  resist 
the  aggressions  of  Dunlavey's  hired  assassins  he 
was  forced  to  pay  ruinous  wages. 

"  Even  then  he  could  not  prevent  rustling. 
Dunlavey  bribed  his  men ;  his  herds  dwindled ;  he 
saw  that  he  was  facing  ruin  if  he  did  not  devise 
some  means  to  successfully  cope  with  his  enemies. 
He  went  over  to  Santa  Fe  to  see  the  governor — 
a  piffling  carpet-bagger.  He  was  told  that  the 
government  was  powerless ;  that  the  same  condi 
tion  existed  all  over  the  country,  and  that  the 
government  was  unable  to  combat  it.  The  Law 
had  not  come. 

"  Your  father  returned  home,  discouraged  but 
not  beaten.  He  approached  the  several  other 
small  owners  in  the  vicinity,  asking  for  co-opera 
tion  and  assistance.  Fearful  of  Dunlavey's 
wrath,  the  small  owners  refused  to  organize.  But 
your  father  decided  to  carry  on  the  fight  alone. 
He  recognized  the  fact  that  nothing  but  the  Law 
could  defeat  the  association's  aims,  and  he  deter- 


THE  RULE   OF   CATTLE         37 

mined  to  force  the  Law  into  the  Territory.  With 
this  end  in  view  he  established  his  newspaper. 
He  succeeded  in  arousing  public  interest  with  the 
result  that  a  court  was  established  here." 

The  judge  smiled  dryly,  continuing:  "Yes, 
the  Law  is  here.  Or  what  is  more  to  the  point, 
a  representative  of  the  Law  is  here.  *  I  am  the 
Law/  "  he  quoted,  ironically.  "  But  my  hands 
are  tied;  this  court  is  a  mere  travesty  upon  jus 
tice.  The  government  at  Washington  has  seen 
fit  to  send  me  here — alone.  I  can't  go  out  and 
get  evidence;  I  couldn't  secure  a  conviction  if  I 
did.  The  people  here  who  are  not  Dunlavey's 
friends  were  afraid  of  him.  I  can't  get  a  jury. 
Dunlavey  elects  the  sheriff — controls  the  election 
machinery.  I  am  powerless — a  mere  figure 
head.  This  is  the  situation  in  a  nutshell.  I 
could  go  into  detail,  but  I  imagine  it  is  plain 
enough  as  it  is." 

Hollis's  face  had  become  gravely  serious;  his 
lips  were  straightened  with  an  expression  that 
hinted  at  the  conflict  that  was  going  on  in  his 
mind. 

"  Isn't  there  an  army  post  near? "  he  ques 
tioned. 

"  Over  at  Fort  Union — a  hundred  miles  or  so 
southwest.  I  have  pleaded  for  a  detail,  but  have 
been  informed  that  it  can't  be  had;  that  the 


38      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

soldiers  are  needed  to  keep  the  Indians  in  order. 
Independent  cattlemen  are  supposed  to  fight  it 
out  alone.  At  least  that  is  the  inference,  if  we 
are  to  consider  the  attitude  of  the  government." 

Hollis  was  gravely  silent.  The  judge  leaned 
back  in  his  chair,  watching  him  with  a  queer  ex 
pression.  He  realized  that  he  had  said  enough 
to  discourage  the  average  young  man  from  re 
maining  in  the  country  a  moment  longer  than  was 
absolutely  necessary.  He  would  not  have  been 
surprised  had  Hollis  told  him  that  he  did  not  in 
tend  to  remain.  But  from  what  he  had  seen  of 
the  young  man  he  felt  sure  that  his  decision,  when 
it  did  come,  would  be  final.  More  than  once 
since  Hollis  had  been  in  the  office  had  the  judge 
observed  the  serene,  steady  gleam  in  his  eyes,  and 
he  had  catalogued  him  with  the  rare  class  of  men 
whose  mental  balance  is  so  perfect  that  nothing 
disturbs  it.  The  judge  had  met  a  few  such  men 
in  the  West  and  he  knew  the  type.  As  he  sat 
looking  at  the  young  man  he  decided  that  Provi 
dence  had  made  a  mistake  in  allowing  him  to 
waste  his  time  in  the  East.  The  West  teemed 
with  opportunities  for  men  of  his  kind. 

He  was  not  surprised  at  Hollis's  next  ques 
tion  ;  it  showed  that  he  was  considering  the  situa 
tion  from  many  angles  before  committing  him 
self. 


THE   RULE   OF   CATTLE         39 

"  What  is  the  condition  of  Circle  Bar  ranch 
at  present?  "  he  asked. 

"  The  title  to  the  land  is  intact  and  cannot  be 
assailed.  But  Norton  informs  me  that  there  are 
not  above  two  hundred  head  of  cattle  on  the 
range,  and  that  the  buildings  are  run  down.  Not 
a  very  cheerful  prospect?  " 

He  had  told  the  truth  about  the  land  and  the 
cattle,  but  he  had  purposely  exaggerated  con 
cerning  the  condition  of  the  buildings,  being 
grimly  determined  to  place  the  situation  in  its 
most  unfavorable  light  that  he  might  be  the  bet 
ter  able  to  test  the  young  man's  mettle.  He 
smiled  as  Hollis  thoughtfully  stroked  his  chin. 

"  Well,  now,"  admitted  the  latter,  flashing  a 
queer  smile  at  the  judge,  "  I  quite  agree  with  you 
that  the  prospect  isn't  cheering.  But  so  long 
as  the  condition  is  such  as  it  is  there  is  no  need  to 
grumble.  I  didn't  come  out  here  expecting  to 
fall  into  a  bed  of  roses." 

"  Then  you  won't  be  disappointed,"  returned 
the  judge  dryly.  He  filled  and  lighted  a  pipe, 
smoking  meditatively,  his  eyes  on  the  younger 
man  with  a  curious  expression.  He  had  deter 
mined  to  push  the  test  a  little  farther. 

"  You  could  probably  sell  the  Circle  Bar,"  he 
said  finally.  "  Your  father  told  me  before  he 
died  that  he  had  been  offered  ten  dollars  an  acre 


40      THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

for  his  land.    That  would  total  to  a  tidy  sum." 
Hollis  looked  quickly  at  the  judge,  his  eyes 
flashing  with  grim  amusement.      *  Would  you 
advise  me  to  sell?  "  he  questioned. 

The  judge  laughed  quietly.  "  That  is  an  un 
fair  question,"  he  equivocated,  narrowing  his  eyes 
whimsically.  "  If  I  were  heir  to  the  property 
and  felt  that  I  did  not  care  to  assume  the  danger 
of  managing  it  I  should  sell,  without  doubt. 
If,  on  the  other  hand,  I  had  decided  to  continue 
my  father's  fight  against  an  unscrupulous  com 
pany,  I  would  stay  no  matter  what  the  conse 
quences.  But " — He  puffed  slowly  at  his  pipe, 
his  voice  filling  with  unmistakable  sarcasm — "  it 
would  be  so  much  easier  to  sell  and  return  at  once 
to  a  more  peaceful  atmosphere.  With  ten  thou 
sand  dollars  you  could  go  back  East  and  go  on 
with  your  newspaper  work,  well  equipped,  with  a 
chance  of  realizing  your  ambition — and  not  be 
troubled  with  continuing  a  fight  in  which,  no 
doubt,  there  would  be  many  blows  to  be  taken." 
"  Thank  you,"  returned  Hollis  quietly.  He 
looked  steadily  into  the  judge's  eyes,  his  own 
glinting  with  a  grim  humor.  "  You  have  suc 
ceeded  in  making  it  very  plain,"  he  continued 
slowly.  "  But  I  am  not  going  to  run — I  have 
decided  on  that.  Of  course  I  feel  properly  re 
sentful  over  the  way  my  father  has  been  treated 
by  this  man  Dunlavey  and  his  association."  His 


THE   RULE   OF   CATTLE         41 

eyes  flashed  with  a  peculiar  hardness.  "  And  I 
would  stay  here  and  fight  Dunlavey  and  his  par 
cel  of  ruffians  if  for  no  other  reason  than  to  se 
cure  revenge  on  personal  grounds. 

"  But  there  is  one  other  reason.  There  is  a 
principle  at  stake.  I  don't  care  very  much  about 
the  personal  side  of  the  question ;  little  as  I  knew 
my  father,  I  believe  he  would  have  ignored  per 
sonalities  were  he  confronted  with  the  condition 
that  confronts  me.  It  is  my  belief  that  as  an 
American  citizen  he  chafed  under  conditions  that 
prevented  him  from  enjoying  that  freedom  to 
which  we  are  all  entitled  under  the  Constitution. 
Judging  from  your  conversation  you  are  in  en 
tire  sympathy  with  that  sentiment."  He  smiled 
at  the  judge.  "  Of  course  I  am  not  mistaken? " 
he  added. 

The  tobacco  in  the  bowl  of  the  judge's  pipe 
spluttered ;  he  brought  his  right  fist  heavily  down 
upon  the  table,  rattling  the  pens  and  ink  bottles 
that  littered  its  top.  "  No,  young  man;  you  are 
not  mistaken — you  have  hit  the  nail  squarely  on 
the  head.  If  you  are  going  to  stay  here  and 
fight  Dunlavey  and  his  crew,  Blackstone  Graney 
is  with  you  until " 

"  Until  the  Law  comes,"  suggested  Hollis. 

"  Yes,  by  thunder!  "  declared  the  judge.  "  You 
can  go  further  than  that  and  say:  *  until  the  Law 
rules!'" 


CHAPTER  III 

NORTON    MAKES    A   DISCOVERY 

JUDGE  GRANEY  rose  and  leaned  over 
the  table,  taking  the  young  man's  hand  and 
holding  it  tightly.     Then  he  sat  down  again 
and   resumed   smoking.     Neither   man    said   a 
word  during  the  hand-clasp  and  yet  both  knew 
that  their  hearts  and  minds  were  united  in  a  com 
mon  cause.    Words  would  have  been  unnecessary 
and  futile. 

Hollis's  path  of  duty  lay  straight  and  open 
before  him.  There  was  no  by-way  that  would 
lead  him  around  the  dangers  that  were  sure  to 
beset  him.  Nor  had  he  thought  to  search  for 
any.  Long  before  the  judge  had  concluded  his 
recital  of  conditions  in  the  county  Hollis  had  de 
cided  to  meet  the  issue  squarely.  He  had  been 
able  to  see  beyond  the  petty,  personal  side  of  the 
question;  had  even  ignored  it  to  get  at  the  big, 
pithy  principle  of  equal  rights.  The  Law  must 
come.  If  he  could  assist  in  bringing  it  he  would 
be  accomplishing  something  real  and  tangible 

42 


NORTON   MAKES   A   DISCOVERY    43 

and  he  would  be  satisfied.  He  did  not  believe 
that  Destiny  had  anything  to  do  with  his  ap 
pearance  upon  the  scene  at  this  particular  time; 
rather  he  felt  that  his  coming  was  merely  a  re 
sult  of  a  combination  of  circumstances  such  as 
might  have  occurred  to  any  man.  And  like  any 
man  with  courage  and  deeply  settled  convic 
tions  he  was  prepared  to  move  forward  to  the 
issue,  trusting  himself.  He  had  no  thought  of 
appearing  heroic. 

Yet  to  the  judge  he  appeared  so.  The  latter 
had  been  prepared  to  hear  excuses  from  him ;  had 
been  prepared  to  resist  a  natural  inclination  to 
berate  the  young  man  soundly  for  lack  of  par 
ental  loyalty,  though  conscious  that  he  could  ad 
vance  no  valid  reason  for  the  young  man  sacri 
ficing  himself  upon  the  altars  of  an  old  feud. 
It  was  against  human  nature  for  any  man  to  so 
sacrifice  himself,  he  had  assured  himself  when 
trying  to  build  up  a  defense  for  the  young  man. 

And  now  that  Hollis  had  shown  that  he  needed 
no  defender;  that  he  was  willing  to  take  up  the 
cudgels  in  behalf  of  his  father,  the  judge  was 
scarcely  able  to  restrain  himself.  To  state  calmly 
that  he  intended  to  fight  the  Cattlemen's  Asso 
ciation  when  there  was  a  life  of  comparative 
safety  awaiting  him  in  another  section  of  the 
country  was  an  heroic  decision.  Many  another 


44      THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

man  would  have  cringed — would  have  surren 
dered  without  striking  a  blow. 

Judge  Graney  had  long  known  that  the  action 
of  his  government  in  sending  him  to  Union 
County  was  an  ironical  surrender  on  the  part  of 
the  government  to  the  forces  in  the  West  which 
had  been  long  demanding  the  Law.  He  had 
been  sent  here,  presumably  to  enforce  the  law, 
but  in  reality  to  silence  the  government's  critics. 
He  was  not  expected  to  convict  anyone.  Theo 
retically  he  was  supposed  to  uphold  the  majesty 
of  the  law  in  Union  County,  but  in  reality  he 
merely  remained  and  drew  his  salary.  There 
was  no  law  to  enforce. 

In  the  fight  that  had  been  waged  between  the 
elder  Hollis  and  the  Cattlemen's  Association  his 
sympathies  had  been  with  Hollis,  though  he  had 
never  been  able  to  assist  him  in  a  legal  way. 
But  the  judge  knew  that  eventually  the  Law 
must  come,  and  so  he  encouraged  Hollis,  assur 
ing  him  that  victory  would  be  his  in  the  end. 

And  then  Hollis  had  died — suddenly.  The 
Las  Vegas  doctor  who  had  attended  him  had 
shaken  his  head  sagely  when  the  judge  had  ques 
tioned  him  regarding  his  patient  and  had  pointed 
significantly  to  one  of  Dry  Bottom's  saloons. 
The  doctor  had  told  the  judge  there  was  no  hope, 
and  the  latter  had  telegraphed  East.  The  ap 
pearance  of  young  Hollis  had  been  the  result. 


NORTON   MAKES   A    DISCOVERY    45 

The  judge's  heart  had  warmed  toward  the  young 
man. 

"  What  are  your  intentions  regarding  the 
newspaper — the  Kicker?  "  he  questioned. 

Hollis  looked  up  quickly,  his  face  grave. 
"  Perhaps  if  there  had  been  no  Kicker  here  my 
decision  might  have  been  different,"  he  said. 
"  But  so  long  as  it  is  here  it  is  in  business  to 
stay!" 

"  I  expect  that  decision  won't  please  Dun- 
lavey  a  whole  lot,"  the  judge  returned. 

"Perhaps  not,"  drawled  Hollis;  "still,  we 
can't  aim  to  please  everybody.  I  expect  I  might 
be  able  to  get  hold  of  that  printer — Potter  I  be 
lieve  you  called  him? " 

"  Potter  won't  be  hard  to  find,"  assured  the 
judge;  "  a  search  of  the  saloons  would  uncover 
him,  I  imagine."  He  smiled.  "  When  you  get 
ready  to  get  the  Kicker  out  just  let  me  know;  I 
promise  to  have  Potter  on  hand." 

To  the  ears  of  the  two  men  came  a  rattle  of 
wheels  and  a  voice.  The  judge  leaned  back  in 
his  chair  and  looked  out  through  the  window. 
His  face  wreathed  into  a  broad  smile  as  he  re 
sumed  his  former  position  and  looked  at  Hollis. 
"  Your  range  boss  is  here,"  he  said. 

They  heard  a  step  on  the  board  walk,  and  a 
man  stood  in  the  doorway  looking  at  them. 

The  newcomer  gave  an  instant  impression  of 


te      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

capability.  He  stood  on  the  threshold,  entirely 
composed,  saturnine,  serene  eyed,  absolutely 
sure  of  himself.  He  was  arrayed  in  high  heeled 
boots,  minus  spurs ;  the  bottoms  of  a  pair  of  dust- 
covered  overalls  were  tucked  into  the  boot  legs; 
a  woolen  shirt,  open  at  the  throat,  covered  a  pair 
of  admirable  shoulders;  a  scarlet  handkerchief 
was  knotted  around  his  neck;  and  a  wide  brim 
med  hat,  carelessly  dented  in  the  crown,  was 
shoved  rakishly  back  from  his  forehead.  Sag 
ging  from  his  slim  waist  was  a  well  filled  cart 
ridge  belt  and  at  the  right  hip  a  heavy  revolver. 

"Howdy,  judge!"  he  said  with  a  smile,  in 
response  to  Judge  Graney's  cordial  greeting. 

"  Just  come  in?  "  questioned  the  judge. 

"  Been  in  town  an  hour,"  returned  Norton. 

He  flashed  a  searching  glance  at  Hollis,  which 
that  young  man  met  steadily.  The  thought 
crossed  Hollis's  mind  that  the  buckboard  that  he 
had  seen  in  front  of  a  store  soon  after  leaving  the 
station  must  have  been  Norton's.  But  now  Nor 
ton  was  speaking  again  and  Hollis  listened. 

"  Dropped  into  the  Fashion  to  see  my  friend 
Red  Eggers,"  resumed  Norton,  smiling  broadly. 
"  Same  old  crowd — Dunlavey,  Yuma  Ed,  Ten 
Spot,  Greasy — most  of  the  bunch  which  has  been 
makin'  things  interestin'  for  us  hereabouts." 

At  the  mention  of  "  Yuma  Ed  "  Hollis  looked 


NORTON   MAKES   A    DISCOVERY    47 

up.  That  was  the  name  of  the  second  man  he 
had  struck  in  the  affair  near  the  Fashion  Saloon. 
He  wondered  if  Norton  knew.  He  did  not  re 
member  to  have  seen  the  latter  among  the  men 
who  had  surrounded  him  in  the  space  between 
the  two  buildings.  But  the  judge  was  now  in 
troducing  him  to  Norton  and  he  stood  up,  hold 
ing  the  latter's  hand  and  meeting  his  inspecting 
gaze  fairly.  He  found  that  the  range  boss  was 
fully  as  tall  as  he ;  indeed,  Hollis  discovered  that 
he  was  compelled  to  look  up  slightly  in  order  to 
meet  the  latter's  level  gaze.  Norton  smiled  pe 
culiarly;  there  was  a  friendly  expression  in  his 
eyes,  but  mingled  with  it  was  a  reserved,  ap 
praising,  speculative  gleam,  which  drew  a  smile 
to  Hollis's  lips. 

"  So  you're  Jim  Hollis's  boy? "  said  Norton. 
"  My  new  boss  ?  "  He  grinned,  evidently  will 
ing  to  go  more  than  half  way  in  forming  a  friend 
ship  with  his  "  new  boss  ".  "  I  don't  reckon  that 
you're  much  stuck  on  this  here  country — much 
as  you've  seen  of  it? " 

"  I've  been  used  to  keeping  busy,"  laughed 
Hollis,  "  and  my  impression  is  that  it  seems 
rather  dull  out  here." 

Norton's  eyelashes  flickered.  He  deliberately 
closed  one  eye  at  the  judge,  carefully  averting 
his  face  so  that  Hollis  could  not  see. 


48      THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

"  So  you're  lookin'  for  action?  "  he  said  to  Hol- 
lis  in  a  grave  voice.  "  Mebbe  it  ain't  none  of  my 
business,"  he  added,  his  eyes  gleaming,  "  but  I'm 
askin'  you  if  you're  thinkin'  to  stay  in  this  country 
— keepin'  your  dad's  ranch  an'  his  newspaper?  " 

Hollis  nodded.  Norton's  eyes  gleamed  with  a 
savage  delight.  "Bully!"  he  declared.  "If 
you  stay  here  you'll  get  plenty  of  action.  I  was 
afraid  you  wouldn't  stay."  He  turned  to  Judge 
Graney,  a  grin  of  satisfaction  on  his  face.  "  I'm 
tellin'  you  somethin'  that  will  tickle  you  a  heap," 
he  said.  "  I  told  you  that  I  had  stopped  in  Red 
Egger's  saloon.  I  did.  Dunlavey's  bunch  was 
feelin'  mighty  sore  over  somethin'.  I  stayed 
there  a  while,  tryin'  to  find  out  what  it  was  all 
about,  but  there  wasn't  none  of  them  sayin'  any 
thing  to  me.  But  pretty  soon  I  got  Red  over 
into  a  corner  an'  he  told  me.  Accordin'  to  him 
Dunlavey  had  corraled  that  Hazelton  girl  out 
side  an'  was  tellin'  her  somethin'  pretty  strong 
when  a  tenderfoot,  which  hadn't  any  regard  for 
Dunlavey's  delicate  feelin's,  up  an'  lambasted 
him  in  the  jaw! " 

"  Struck  him?  "  queried  the  judge,  grinning 
delightedly. 

"  Knocked  him  cold,"  affirmed  Norton,  his  eyes 
dancing.  "  Pasted  him  so  hard  that  he  thought 
it  was  night  an*  went  to  sleep.  Then  Yuma 


NORTON  MAKES  A   DISCOVERY.    49 

busted  in  an'  thought  to  work  his  guns.  He  got; 
his'n,  too.  That  there  tenderfoot  didn't  have  no 
respect  for  guns.  Red  says  he  never  thought 
any  man  could  hit  so  hard.  It  must  have  been 
sumptuous !  "  He  laughed  delightedly.  "  I'd 
like  to  shake  hands  with  that  tenderfoot — he's 
my  friend!" 

Hollis  pulled  out  a  cigar  case,  selected  a  cigar,1 
lighted  it,  and  smoked  in  silence. 

So  her  name  was  Hazelton.  Admiration  over 
the  manner  in  which  she  had  held  the  men  at  bay 
before  Dunlavey  got  to  his  feet  still  lingered; 
she  had  impressed  him  deeply.  But  a  deeper 
satisfaction  overshadowed  his  thoughts  of  the  girl) 
for  he  had  slugged  Dunlavey,  his  father's  enemy. 
His  satisfaction  grew  to  amusement.  Did  Dun 
lavey  know  who  had  slugged  him?  He  must 
have  suspected,  for  Hollis  recalled  the  man's  sig-. 
nificant  expression  when,  after  he  had  risen  front 
the  ground  he  said :  "  I've  got  an  idea  that  you 
an'  me  will  meet  again." 

Hollis's  thoughts  flitted  rapidly  from  Duri^ 
lavey  to  the  girl.  Now  that  he  had  decided  to' 
stay  he  had  determined  to  search  her  out.  He; 
remembered  that  Dunlavey  had  spoken  slight-; 
ingly  of  her  brother  and  he  assured  himself  thai, 
he  would  not  be  entirely  satisfied  until  he  had 
uncovered  the  mystery.  He  might  have  ques- 


50      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

tioned  Norton  or  the  judge,  for  both  men  evi 
dently  knew  the  girl,  but  he  was  reluctant  to 
betray  his  interest  in  her  to  either  man. 

He  heard  Norton  make  an  exclamation  of  sur 
prise,  and  looking  up  he  saw  him  holding  his 
right  hand  out,  the  palm  upward,  examining  it. 
There  was  a  splotch  of  blood  on  the  palm  and 
another  on  the  under  side  of  the  thumb. 

"  Shucks ! "  Norton  was  saying.  "  Now 
where  in  thunder  did  I  get  that? "  He  looked 
again  at  the  hand  and  then  suddenly  dove  for 
ward  to  Hollis's  side,  seized  his  right  hand,  peered 
at  the  knuckles  and  held  the  hand  triumphantly 
aloft. 

"  I  reckon  this  is  where  I  got  it ! "  he 
grinned. 

Hollis  looked  ruefully  down  at  his  knuckles. 
The  skin  was  gashed — evidently  where  it  had 
come  in  contact  with  a  bone  in  either  Dunlavey's 
or  Yuma's  jaw.  He  had  intended  to  keep  the 
story  of  adventure  to  himself.  But  he  saw  that 
Norton  had  stepped  back  and  was  gazing  soberly 
at  the  suitcases,  which  Hollis  had  deposited  near 
the  door.  Norton  suddenly  let  out  a  chirp  of  de 
light. 

"  Two  of  them! "  he  said,  suppressing  his  ex 
citement  ;  "  Two  grips !  Red  Eggers  said  there 
was  two  an'  that  the  tenderfoot  had  come  down 


NORTON   MAKES   A    DISCOVERY    51 

toward  the  court  house !  "  He  walked  to  Hollis 
and  halted  in  front  of  him,  looking  at  him  with 
admiration  and  satisfaction. 

"  Own  up  now!  "  he  said.  "  You  ain't  tellin' 
us  that  it  wasn't  you,  durn  you !  Oh,  say !  "  He 
uttered  a  whoop  that  must  have  startled  the 
horses  in  front  of  the  building.  (Then  he  sobered 
down,  speaking  in  a  low,  regretful  voice :  "  You 
durn  tenderfoot!  Here  I've  been  waitin'  for 
years  to  get  a  crack  at  that  big  four-flusher,  an' 
here  you  come,  a-fannin'  along  from  your  little 
old  East  an'  get  ahead  of  me!"  He  stifled  a 
cackle  of  mirth.  "  An'  so  you're  lookin'  for  ac 
tion?  Lordy!  If  you  don't  call  what  you  done 
to  Dunlavey  an'  Yuma  action  this  country's  goin' 
to  set  up  an'  take  notice  when  you  get  to  goin' 
in  earnest! " 

Judge  Graney  loomed  somberly  over  the  table. 
"  I  suppose  it  must  have  been  you? "  he  said 
gravely. 

Hollis  nodded.  "  I  may  as  well  confess,"  he 
said.  "  I  saw  a  man  giving  a  young  lady  a 
mighty  bad  moment  and  I  slugged  him.  An 
other  man  called  me  a  vile  name  and  I  slugged 
him,  too.  That  was  all." 

The  judge  sat  down  again,  his  face  slightly 
pale.  A  significant  glance  passed  between  him 
and  Norton,  but  the  latter  laughed  grimly. 


52       THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

"  I  reckon  he's  opened  the  ball,  right  off  the 
reel,"  he  suggested. 

Judge  Graney  drew  a  deep  breath.  "  Yes," 
he  returned.  "  I  suppose  that  way  is  as  good  as 
any  other.  It  was  bound  to  come  anyway.  It 
will  be  war  to  the  finish  nowl " 


CHAPTER  IV 

AT  THE  CIRCLE  BAR 

IN  the  two  weeks  that  followed  his  arrival  at 
Dry  Bottom,  Hollis  had  much  time  to  medi 
tate  upon  the  great  change  that  had  come 
into  his  life.  His  conclusion  that  there  was  noth 
ing  in  common  between  cattle  raising  and  jour 
nalism  was  not  a  result  of  an  involved  process  of 
reasoning,  and  had  he  not  been  endowed  with  a 
sense  of  humor  he  might  have  become  embittered. 
Though  a  sacrifice  be  made  cheerfully,  there 
lingers  always  its  ghost  to  draw  mental  pictures 
of  "  what  might  have  been."  Hollis  would  have 
been  more  than  human  had  he  not  felt  some  little 
regret  over  his  sacrifice. 

It  had  seemed  to  him,  as  two  weeks  before  he 
had  ridden  away  from  the  court  house — sitting 
on  the  seat  of  the  buckboard  beside  Neil  Norton, 
his  suitcases  tucked  snugly  away  underneath — 
that  he  was  once  and  for  all  severing  his  connec 
tion  with  the  big,  bustling  world  in  which  he  had 
moved;  in  whose  busy  scenes  he  had  been  so 
vitally  interested.  His  had  been  a  big  work; 

53 


54      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

seated  at  his  desk  in  the  "  city  "  room  of  his  news 
paper  he  had  many  times  likened  himself  unto 
an  argus-eyed  recording  angel  whose  business  it 
was  to  keep  in  view  each  of  the  many  atoms  of  a 
busy  multitude  and  to  accord  to  them  that  amount 
of  space  that  their  importance  seemed  to  demand. 
He  had  loved  his  work;  it  had  broadened  him, 
had  provided  him  with  exactly  the  proportion  of 
mental  exercise  needed  to  keep  him  on  edge  and 
in  a  position  to  enjoy  life.  He  had  lived  in  the 
East — really  lived.  Out  here  he  would  merely 
exist,  though,  he  assured  himself  grimly,  his  ene 
mies  would  have  to  pay  dearly  for  his  sacrifice. 

The  picture  of  his  journey  to  the  Circle  Bar 
ranch  was  still  fresh  in  his  mind  as  he  rode  slowly 
away  from  Neil  Norton,  whom  he  had  left  sitting 
in  his  saddle  on  a  ridge,  watching  him.  The 
long  twilight  had  brought  its  lengthening  shad 
ows  that  night  before  Norton  had  struck  the 
Circle  Bar  trail,  and  before  they  had  traveled  a 
mile  of  the  ten  that  lay  before  them  night  had 
come.  Hollis  had  been  little  inclined  to  talk  and 
Norton  did  not  disturb  him,  but  gave  his  atten 
tion  to  the  horses.  There  had  been  no  moon  and 
few  stars,  and  darkness,  as  under  a  blanket,  had 
settled  over  them  before  they  were  many  miles 
from  Dry  Bottom. 

The  country  seemed  nothing  more  than  a  vast 


AT   THE   CIRCLE   BAR  55 

plain,  broken  here  and  there  by  ridges  and  de 
pressions.  Occasionally  a  low  hill  loomed  out  of 
the  darkness,  the  shadows  deepening  around  it; 
now  and  then  the  buckboard  passed  through  a 
draw,  the  wheels  sinking  hub-deep  in  the  loose 
sand.  Several  dry  arroyos  crossed  the  trail,  but 
with  a  knowledge  that  seemed  almost  marvelous 
Norton  cleverly  avoided  these  pitfalls.  Hollis- 
could  not  see  a  foot  ahead,  but  the  location  of  the 
trail  seemed  to  be  no  mystery  to  the  range  boss, 
for  he  drove  the  horses  steadily  on,  hesitating  for 
nothing. 

Once  during  the  ride  Norton  broke  the  silence 
with  a  subdued  cackle  of  mirth,  and  at  another 
time  he  laughed  aloud. 

"  I'd  liked  to  have  seen  Big  Bill  when  you  hit 
him!"  he  observed,  regret  in  his  voice.  "I 
reckon  he  might  have  been  just  a  little  sur 
prised!  " 

To  which  Hollis  made  no  reply.  At  another 
time  Norton  broke  the  silence  long  enough  to  in 
quire  : 

"  I  reckon  mebbe  you  wouldn't  have  hit  him  so 
hard  if  you'd  knowed  who  he  was?" 

"  I  think  I  should  have  hit  a  little  harder,"  re 
turned  Hollis  quietly. 

"  Why,  hell! "  declared  Norton  with  a  laugh; 
"  I  reckon  you  would  have  done  just  that!  " 


56      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

About  ten  o'clock  they  came  in  sight  of  some 
straggling  posts,  and  Norton  assured  Hollis  that 
the  posts  were  strung  with  wire,  forming  a  fence 
which  skirted  one  side  of  the  Circle  Bar  pasture. 
A  few  minutes  later  a  dog  barked  and  at  Nor 
ton's  call  came  bounding  up  to  the  buckboard, 
yipping  joyously.  Hollis  could  make  out  his 
shape  as  he  cavorted  about. 

"  My  dog,"  offered  the  range  boss.  "  Half 
wolf,  the  other  half  just  dog."  He  chuckled 
over  his  joke.  "  Best  dog  you  ever  see,"  he 
boasted;  "  money  couldn't  buy  him.  Like  dogs?  " 

Hollis  nodded  and  then  realizing  that  Norton 
could  not  see  him  in  the  darkness,  voiced  a  quick 
"yes". 

In  the  distance  Hollis  saw  a  sudden  square  of 
light  illuminate  the  wall  of  darkness  into  which 
they  had  been  driving;  a  door  had  been  opened. 
Evidently  the  dog's  barking  had  aroused  the  in 
mates  of  the  building,  for  as  the  buckboard  drew 
nearer  Hollis  saw  several  figures  flit  out  of  the 
door-way.  Norton  drove  the  horses  close  to  the 
building  and  brought  them  to  a  halt  with  a  sonor 
ous  "  whoa  " !  Then  he  turned  to  Hollis  and 
spoke  with  a  drawl :  "  This  here  building  is  the 
Circle  Bar  bunkhouse ;  them's  some  of  your  men." 

Hollis  remarked  the  size  of  the  building  and 
Norton  laughed  grimly.  "  There  was  a  time 


AT  THE   CIRCLE  BAR  57 

when  it  wasn't  any  too  big,"  he  said.  "  Five 
years  ago  your  dad  had  twenty-seven  men  on  the 
pay-roll.  If  Dunlavey  an'  his  damn  association 
hadn't  showed  up  he'd  have  had  them  yet."  He 
turned  toward  three  men  who  were  lounging  in 
the  doorway.  "Hey,  you  guys!"  he  yelled; 
"  this  here's  your  new  boss.  If  you-all  ain't 
glued  there  you  might  grab  his  grips  an'  tote 
them  up  to  the  ranchhouse.  Tell  the  missus  that 
I'll  be  along  directly  with  the  boss." 

Amusement  over  the  Southern  twang  that 
marked  Norton's  speech  filled  Hollis.  He  had 
noticed  it  before  and  it  had  made  plain  to  him  the 
reason  of  Norton's  unhurried  movements,  his 
slow  humor,  his  habit  of  quiet  scrutiny. 

But  he  had  little  time  for  reflection.  At  Nor 
ton's  words  two  men  sprang  forward  to  the  buck- 
board  and  he  saw  his  suitcases  disappear  into  the 
darkness  in  the  direction  of  a  light  that  he  now 
saw  flickering  from  some  little  distance.  He 
jumped  out  of  the  buckboard  and  saw  another 
man  spring  to  the  horses'  heads  and  lead  them 
away  into  the  darkness.  Then  he  followed  Nor 
ton  into  the  light  from  the  open  doorway.  Pre 
sently  he  was  shaking  hands  with  a  man  who 
stood  there,  whose  chief  articles  of  raiment  were 
overalls,  boots,  and  a  woolen  shirt.  Almost  in 
stantly,  it  seemed,  two  of  the  others  had  returned 


58      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

and  Norton  was  introducing  them  as  "  Ace," 
"  Lanky,"  and  "  Weary."  These  pseudonyms 
were  picturesque  and  descriptive,  though  at  the 
time  Hollis  was  in  a  state  of  pained  incompre 
hension  concerning  them.  Later  he  was  in 
formed  that  Ace  had  been  so  named  on  account 
of  having  once  been  caught  slipping  a  playing 
card  of  that  character  into  his  bootleg  during  a 
game  of  poker.  Incidentally — Hollis  was  told 
— gun-play  had  resulted.  That  Ace  was  still 
active  proved  that  the  other  man  might  have 
profited  by  keeping  his  knowledge  to  himself. 
Obviously,  Lanky  deserved  his  appellation — he 
was  a  trifle  over  six  feet  tall  and  proportioned 
like  a  young  sapling.  Weary  had  been  born 
tired — so  Hollis  was  told  by  the  latter's  defam- 
ers;  defamers,  for  later  Hollis  discovered  that 
no  man  in  the  outfit  could  show  more  surprising 
agility  on  occasion  than  this  same  Weary. 

Hollis  found  himself  inside  the  bunkhouse, 
where  he  was  critically  inspected  by  the  three 
men — and  before  he  left,  by  the  fourth,  who  an 
swered  to  the  name  of  "  Bud."  Norton  told  him 
that  these  four  comprised  his  outfit — Bud  acting 
as  blacksmith.  Hollis  remained  with  the  men 
only  long  enough  to  announce  that  there  would 
be  no  change;  that  he  intended  to  hang  on  and 
fight  for  his  rights.  When  Norton  told  them 


AT   THE   CIRCLE   BAR  59 

that  Hollis  had  already  begun  the  fight  by  slug 
ging  Dunlavey  and  Yuma  Ed,  the  enthusiasm  of 
the  four  men  was  unbounded.  They  assured 
him  profanely  that  they  were  with  him  to  the 
"  finish  " — whatever  it  might  be.  After  which 
Hollis  departed  to  the  ranchhouse. 

He  found  Mrs.  Norton  to  be  a  pleasant  faced 
woman  of  twenty-seven  or  eight,  who  had — ac 
cording  to  Norton — "  bossed  him  for  seven 
years."  Norton  grinned  hugely  over  his  wife's 
embarrassed  protest. 

"  I  haven't  '  bossed '  him,"  she  told  Hollis, 
while  Norton  looked  on  with  amusement, 
"  though  there  have  been  times  when  he  richly 
deserved  it."  There  was  a  spirited  flash  in  the 
lady's  eyes  as  she  looked  at  her  lord. 

"  I  don't  wish  to  take  sides  in  any  marital  con 
troversy,"  Hollis  told  them.  "  I  don't  care  to 
parade  my  ignorance.  However,"  he  smiled, 
with  a  wink  at  Norton,  "  most  men  need  a  boss, 
if  for  no  other  reason  than  to  teach  them  the 
value  of  discipline." 

"  There !  "  said  Mrs.  Norton  with  a  triumphant 
laugh,  and  immediately  left  the  two  men  and 
went  into  the  kitchen. 

After  partaking  of  a  hearty  meal  Hollis  and 
Norton  went  out  on  the  porch  for  a  smoke  and  a 
talk,  and  it  was  near  midnight  when  Hollis 


60      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

tumbled  into  bed,  distinctly  pleased  with  the 
range  boss  and  his  admirable  wife.  He  was 
asleep  within  five  minutes. 

The  sun  was  streaming  into  his  window  when 
he  hopped  out  of  bed  the  next  morning,  refreshed 
and  eager  to  make  a  trip  of  inspection  over  his 
property.  He  came  down  stairs  lightly,  in  the 
hope  of  being  able  to  slip  outside  without  dis 
turbing  anybody,  but  upon  opening  the  stair 
door  he  was  surprised  to  find  the  cloth  on  the 
table  in  the  dining  room  already  spread  and  hot 
food  steaming  upon  it.  Mrs.  Norton  was  bust 
ling  about  from  the  kitchen  to  the  dining  room. 
Evidently  the  Nortons  had  been  astir  for  hours. 

Mrs.  Norton  smilingly  directed  him  to  a  wash 
basin  on  a  bench  just  outside  the  door  and  stood 
in  the  opening  a  moment,  watching  him  as  he 
drenched  his  face  with  the  cold  water.  There 
was  in  her  manner  only  the  solicitous  concern  of 
the  hostess  whose  desire  is  to  place  a  guest  at 
ease.  Hollis  decided  that  Norton  had  been  most 
fortunate  in  his  choice  of  a  "  boss." 

"  Neil  has  gone  down  into  the  big  basin  to  look 
after  the  men,"  she  told  him  from  the  doorway. 
"  I  don't  expect  him  to  return  for  some  little 
time.  Come  in  to  breakfast  when  you  are 
ready." 

To  his  protest  that  he  would  wait  until  Nor- 


AT  THE  CIRCLE  BAR          61 

ton's  return  before  breakfasting  she  replied  with 
a  smile  that  her  husband  had  already  breakfasted, 
telling  him  also  that  in  this  part  of  the  country 
everyone  rose  with  the  sun. 

He  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  porch  for  a  mo 
ment  after  washing,  drinking  in  the  air  that  came 
to  him  from  the  plains — a  breeze  laden  with  the 
clear  aroma  of  the  sage-brush  moist  with  the  dew 
of  the  night.  When  he  entered  the  house  Mrs. 
Norton  was  nowhere  to  be  seen  and  he  drew  up 
a  chair  and  breakfasted  alone. 

A  little  later  he  embarked  upon  a  tour  of  in 
spection.  All  of  the  buildings,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  the  ranchhouse,  which  was  constructed  of 
logs,  with  a  gable  roof  and  plastered  interstices 
— were  built  of  adobe,  low,  squat  structures  with 
flat  roofs.  There  were  six  of  them — the  bunk- 
house,  mess  house,  blacksmith  shop,  the  range 
boss's  private  shack  (from  which  Norton  and  his 
wife  had  removed  after  the  death  of  the  elder 
Hollis),  the  stable,  and  one  other  building  for 
the  storing  of  miscellaneous  articles.  Hollis  in 
spected  them  all  and  was  not  quite  convinced  that 
they  had  reached  the  stage  of  dilapidation  sug 
gested  by  Judge  Graney. 

During  his  inspection  Hollis  had  seen  a  patch 
of  garden,  some  chickens,  and  down  in  a  small 
pasture  some  cows  that  he  supposed  were  kept 


62       THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

for  milking.  He  was  leaning  on  the  top  rail  of 
the  corral  fence  after  he  had  concluded  his  trip  of 
inspection  when  he  heard  a  clatter  of  hoofs  be 
hind  him  and  turned  to  observe  Norton,  just  rid 
ing  up  to  the  corral  gate.  The  range  boss  wore 
a  grin  of  pleasure. 

"  How  you  findin*  things?  "  he  questioned. 

"  In  better  shape  than  I  expected — after  lis 
tening  to  Judge  Graney,"  smiled  Hollis. 

Norton  looked  critically  at  him.  "  Then  you 
ain't  changed  your  mind  about  stayin*  here?  "  he 
inquired. 

"  No,"  returned  Hollis;  "  I  believe  I  shall  get 
used  to  it  in  time." 

Norton  dismounted,  his  eyes  alight  with  satis 
faction.  "  That's  the  stuff!  "  he  declared.  He 
threw  the  reins  over  his  pony's  head  and  seized 
Hollis  by  an  arm.  "  Come  along  with  me — 
down  to  my  shack,"  he  said ;  "  I've  got  somethin' 
to  show  you." 

Without  further  words  he  led  Hollis  toward 
a  building — the  one  he  had  occupied  previous  to 
the  death  of  the  elder  Hollis.  There  were  three 
rooms  in  the  building  and  in  the  front  one  were 
several  articles  of  furniture  and  some  boxes. 
One  of  these  boxes  Norton  opened,  taking  there 
from  several  articles  of  wearing  apparel,  consist 
ing  of  a  pair  of  corduroy  trousers,  a  pair  of. 


AT   THE   CIRCLE   BAR  63 

leathern  chaps,  boots,  spurs,  two  woolen  shirts,  a 
blue  neckerchief,  a  broad  felt  hat,  and  last,  with 
a  grin  of  amusement  over  Hollis's  astonished  ex 
pression,  a  cartridge  belt  to  which  was  attached  a 
holster  containing  a  Colt  .45. 

"  I  bought  this  outfit  over  at  Santa  Fe  two 
months  ago,"  he  informed  Hollis,  who  was 
gravely  contemplating  the  lay-out,  "  expectin'  to 
wear  them  myself  some  day.  But  when  I  got 
home  I  found  they  didn't  quite  fit."  He  sur 
veyed  Hollis  with  a  critical  eye.  "  I've  been 
thinkin'  ever  since  you  come  that  you'd  fit  pretty 
snug  in  them."  He  raised  a  protesting  hand  as 
Hollis  was  about  to  speak.  "  I  ain't  givin*  them 
to  you,"  he  grinned.  "  But  you  can't  wear  no 
tenderfoot  clothes  out  here.  Some  day  when 
we're  together  an*  we've  got  time  you  can  blow 
me  to  another  outfit ;  I  won't  hesitate  about  takin* 
it."  He  leaned  over  and  tapped  the  butt  of  the 
Colt.  "  LYou  ever  handle  one  of  them?  "  he  ques 
tioned. 

Hollis  nodded.  Once  during  a  shooting 
tournament  he  had  done  good  work  with  a  pistol. 
But  Norton  laughed  at  his  nod. 

"  Mebbe  we  do  it  a  little  different  out  here," 
he  smiled.  "  You  hop  into  them  duds  an*  we'll 
go  out  into  the  cottonwood  yonder  an'  try  out 
your  gun."  He  pointed  through  the  door  to  a 


64      THE   COMING   OF  THE  LAW 

small  clump  of  cottonwoods  beyond  the  bunk- 
house. 

He  went  out  and  fifteen  minutes  later  Hollis 
joined  him,  looking  thoroughly  at  home  in  his  pic 
turesque  rigging.  An  hour  later  they  returned 
to  the  corral  fence,  where  Norton  caught  up  his 
pony  and  another,  saddling  the  latter  for  Hollis. 
He  commented  briefly  upon  the  new  owner's 
ability  with  the  six-shooter. 

'  You  use  your  fists  a  little  better  than  you  use 
a  gun,"  he  remarked  with  his  peculiar  drawl, 
"  but  I  reckon  that  on  the  whole  you'll  be  able  to 
take  care  of  yourself — after  you've  had  a  little 
practise  gettin'  your  gun  out."  He  laughed 
with  a  grim  humor.  "  More  men  have  been 
killed  in  this  country  on  account  of  bein'  slow  on 
the  draw  than  for  any  other  reason.  Don't 
never  monkey  with  it  unless  you  intend  to  use  it, 
an*  then  see  that  you  get  it  out  middlin'  rapid. 
That's  the  recipe,"  he  advised. 

The  pony  that  he  had  selected  for  Hollis  was 
a  slant-eyed  beast,  larger  than  the  average,  with 
rangy  limbs,  black  in  color  with  a  white  muzzle 
and  fetlocks.  Hollis  voted  him  a  "  beaut  "  after 
he  had  ridden  him  a  mile  or  two  and  found  that 
he  had  an  easy,  steady  stride. 

Together  they  made  a  round  of  the  basin,  re 
turning  to  the  ranchhouse  for  dinner.  Hollis 


65 

was  saddle  weary  and  when  Norton  proposed 
another  trip  during  the  afternoon  he  was  met 
with  the  response  that  the  new  owner  purposed 
enjoying  the  cool  of  the  ranchhouse  porch  for 
the  remainder  of  the  day. 

The  next  morning  Hollis  was  up  with  the 
dawn  and  out  on  the  porch  splashing  water  over 
his  face  from  the  wash  basin  that  stood  outsidei 
the  door.  For  a  long  time  after  washing  he 
stood  on  the  porch,  looking  out  over  the  big  basin 
at  this  new  and  strange  world-  Endless  it 
seemed,  lying  before  him  in  its  solemn  silence;  a 
world  of  peace,  of  eternal  sunlight,  smiling  skies, 
and  infinite  distance.  It  seemed  unreal  to  him. 
Did  this  same  planet  hold  the  busy  cities  to  which 
he  had  been  accustomed?  The  stuffy  room,  with 
its  smell  of  damp  ink,  its  litter  of  papers — his 
room  in  the  newspaper  offices,  filled  with  desks 
and  the  clatter  of  typewriters?  Through  whose 
windows  came  the  incessant  clamor  that  welled 
up  from  the  streets  below?  He  laughed  at  the 
thought  and  turned  to  see  Norton  standing  in 
the  doorway  looking  at  him  with  a  smile. 

"  Comparin'  her  with  your  little  old  East?" 
inquired  the  latter. 

Hollis  confessed  that  he  had  been  doing  some 
thing  of  that  sort. 

"  Well,"  returned  Norton,  "  there  ain't  any; 


66      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

way  to  compare  this  country  with  anything  else. 
Seems  as  though  when  the  world  was  made  the 
Lord  had  a  few  million  miles  left  which  he  didn't 
know  what  to  do  with  an'  so  he  just  dumped  it 
down  out  here.  An'  then,  havin'  business  some 
where  else  about  that  time  he  forgot  about  it  an* 
left  it  to  get  along  as  best  it  could — which  wasn't 
none  too  rapid." 

This  conversation  had  taken  place  just  twelve 
days  ago,  yet  Norton's  words  still  remained 
fresh  in  Hollis's  mind.  Yet  he  did  not  alto 
gether  agree  with  Norton.  The  West  had  im 
pressed  him  far  more  than  he  cared  to  admit. 

This  morning,  directly  after  breakfast  Hollis 
and  Norton  had  saddled  their  horses  and  ridden 
out  of  the  basin  toward  the  river,  into  a  section 
of  the  country  that  Hollis  had  not  yet  explored. 
Emerging  from  the  basin,  they  came  to  a  long, 
high  ridge.  On  its  crest  Norton  halted.  Hollis 
likewise  drew  in  his  pony.  From  here  they 
could  see  a  great  stretch  of  country,  sweep 
ing  away  into  the  basin  beneath  it,  toward  a 
mountain  range  whose  peaks  rose  barren  and 
smooth  in  the  white  sunlight. 

"  This  here's  '  Razor-Back '  ridge,"  explained 
Norton  as  the  ponies  halted;  "  called  that  on  ac 
count  of  bein'  so  unusually  narrow  on  the  top." 
He  pointed  to  some  buildings  which  Hollis  had 
seen  but  to  which  he  had  given  very  little  atten- 


AT   THE   CIRCLE   BAR  67 

tion,  thinking  they  were  those  of  the  Circle  Bar. 
"  Them's  the  Circle  Cross  buildings,"  resumed 
Norton.  "  They're  about  three  miles  from  the 
Circle  Bar  ranchhouse,  directly  north  through 
that  cottonwood  back  of  the  bunkhouse  where 
you  tried  your  gun  the  day  after  you  come  out 
here.  Down  below  there — where  you  see  them 
two  big  cottonwood  trees — is  '  Big  Elk  '  crossin'. 
There's  another  somethin'  like  it  back  up  the 
crick  a  ways,  on  the  other  side  of  the  ranchhouse, 
called  the  '  Narrows.' '  He  laughed  grimly. 
"  But  we  don't  use  them  crossins'  much — they're 
dead  lines;  generally  you'll  find  there's  a  Circle 
Cross  man  or  so  hangin'  around  them — with  a 
rifle.  So  it  don't  pay  to  go  monkeyin'  around 
there  unless  you've  got  pressin'  business." 

He  made  a  grimace.  "  It's  my  opinion  that 
a  good  many  Circle  Bar  cattle  have  crossed  the 
crick  in  them  two  places — never  to  come  back." 
He  swept  a  hand  up  the  river,  indicating  the 
sentinel  like  buttes  that  frowned  above  the  bed 
of  the  stream.  "  The  crick  is  pretty  shallow/' 
he  continued,  "  but  Big  Elk  an'  the  Narrows  are 
the  only  two  places  where  a  man  can  cross  in 
safety — if  we  consider  that  there  wouldn't  be  any 
Circle  Cross  man  hangin'  around  them  two 
places.  But  there  ain't  no  other  place  to  cross 
an'  so  we  don't  go  on  the  other  side  much." 

He  turned  to  Hollis,  looking  at  him  with  a 


68       THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

quaint  smile.  "  From  here  you  can  see  every 
thing  that  amounts  to  anything  in  this  section — 
which  ain't  a  heap.  Of  course  over  there  are 
some  mountains — where  we  was  a  few  days  ago 
lookin'  up  the  boys  " — he  pointed  to  some  ser 
rated  peaks  that  rose  somberly  in  the  southwest 
ern  distance — "  but  as  you  saw  there  ain't  much 
to  them  except  rocks  an'  lava  beds.  There's 
some  hills  there  " — pointing  to  the  south — "  but 
there  ain't  nothin'  to  see  in  them.  They  look  a 
heap  better  from  here  than  they  do  when  you  get 
close  to  them.  That's  the  way  with  lots  of  things, 
ain't  it?" 

Hollis  smiled.  "  I  like  it,"  he  said  quietly, 
."much  better  than  I  did  when  I  came."  He 
turned  to  Norton  with  a  whimsical  smile.  "  I 
suppose  it  will  strike  you  as  peculiar,  but  I've 
got  a  notion  that  I  would  like  to  ride  around  a 
while  alone.  I  don't  mean  that  I  don't  like  your 
company,  for  I  do.  But  the  notion  has  just 
struck  me." 

Norton  laughed  indulgently.  "  I  reckon  I 
won't  consider  that  you're  trying  to  slight  me," 
he  returned.  "  I  know  exactly  how  you  feel ; 
that  sort  of  thing  comes  over  everybody  who 
comes  to  this  country — sooner  or  later.  Gener 
ally  it's  later,  when  a  man  has  got  used  to  the 
silence  an*  the  bigness  an'  so  on.  But  in  your 


AT   THE   CIRCLE   BAR  69 

case  it's  sooner.  You'll  have  to  have  it  out  with 
yourself." 

His  voice  grew  serious.  "  But  don't  go  ridin' 
too  far.  An'  keep  away  from  the  river  trail." 

In  spite  of  his  ready  acquiescence  he  sat  for 
some  time  on  his  pony,  watching  Hollis  as  the 
latter  urged  his  pony  along  the  ridge.  Just  be 
fore  Hollis  disappeared  down  the  slope  of  the 
ridge  he  turned  and  waved  a  hand  to  Norton,  and 
the  latter,  with  a  grim,  admiring  smile,  wheeled 
his  pony  and  loped  it  over  the  back  trail. 

Once  down  the  slope  of  the  ridge  Hollis  urged 
his  pony  out  into  the  level  of  the  basin,  through 
some  deep  saccatone  grass,  keeping  well  away 
from  the  river  trail  as  advised  by  the  range  boss. 

In  spite  of  his  serious  thoughts  Hollis  had  not 
been  dismayed  over  the  prospect  of  remaining  at 
the  Circle  Bar  to  fight  Dunlavey  and  his  crew. 
He  rather  loved  a  fight ;  the  thought  of  clashing 
with  an  opposing  force  had  always  filled  him  with 
a  sensation  of  indefinable  exultation.  He  rev 
eled  in  the  primitive  passions.  He  had  been 
endowed  by  nature  with  those  mental  and  phys 
ical  qualities  that  combine  to  produce  the  perfect 
fighter.  He  was  six  feet  of  brawn  and  muscle; 
not  an  ounce  of  superfluous  flesh  encumbered 
him — he  had  been  hammered  and  hardened  into 
a  state  of  physical  perfection  by  several  years  of 


70      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

athletic  training,  sensible  living,  and  good,  hard, 
healthy  labor.  Circumstances  had  not  permitted 
him  to  live  a  life  of  ease.  The  trouble  between 
his  parents — which  had  always  been  much  of  a 
mystery  to  him — had  forced  him  at  a  tender  age 
to  go  out  into  the  world  and  fight  for  existence. 
It  had  toughened  him;  it  had  trained  his  mind 
through  experience ;  it  had  given  him  poise,  per 
sistence,  tenacity — those  rare  mental  qualities 
without  which  man  seldom  rises  above  mediocrity. 

Before  leaving  Dry  Bottom  to  come  to  the  Cir 
cle  Bar  he  had  telegraphed  his  mother  that  he 
would  be  forced  to  remain  indefinitely  in  the 
West,  and  the  sending  of  this  telegram  had  com 
mitted  him  irrevocably  to  his  sacrifice.  He  knew 
that  when  his  mother  received  a  letter  from  him 
explaining  the  nature  of  the  work  that  required 
his  presence  in  Dry  Bottom  she  would  approve 
his  course.  At  least  he  was  certain  that  she 
would  not  advise  surrendering. 

After  riding  for  more  than  an  hour  he  came  to 
a  shallow  draw  and  urged  his  pony  through  the 
deep  sand  of  its  center.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
draw  the  country  became  suddenly  rocky;  great 
boulders  were  strewn  indiscriminately  about,  as 
though  some  giant  hand  had  distributed  them 
carelessly,  without  regard  to  their  final  resting 
place.  A  lava  bed,  looming  gray  and  dead  under 


AT   THE   CIRCLE   BAR  71 

a  barren  rock  hill,  caught  his  attention,  and  he 
drew  his  pony  to  a  halt  and  sat  quietly  in  the 
saddle  examining  it.  From  the  lava  bed  his  gaze 
went  to  a  weird  mineral  shape  that  rose  in  the 
distance — an  inverted  cone  that  seemed  perfectly 
balanced  on  its  narrowest  point.  He  studied  this 
long  without  moving,  struck  with  the  miraculous 
stability  of  the  thing ;  it  seemed  that  a  slight  touch 
would  send  it  tumbling  down. 

He  realized  that  he  had  stumbled  upon  a  spot 
that  would  have  provided  pleasure  to  a  geological 
student.  To  him  it  was  merely  a  source  of  won 
der  and  awe.  Some  mighty  upheaval  of  nature 
had  created  this,  and  he  continued  to  gaze  at  it, 
his  mind  full  of  conjecture. 

To  his  right  rose  a  precipitous  rock  wall  sur 
mounted  by  a  fringe  of  thick  shrubbery.  On  the 
left  was  another  wall,  perpendicular,  flat  on  its 
top  and  stretching  away  into  the  distance,  form 
ing  a  grass  plateau.  Directly  in  front  of  him 
was  a  narrow  canyon  through  which  he  could  see 
a  plain  that  stretched  away  into  the  unknown  dis 
tance. 

It  was  a  magnificent  country;  he  did  not  now 
regret  his  decision  to  remain  here.  He  pulled 
out  his  watch,  noting  that  its  hands  pointed  to 
ten,  and  realized  that  he  must  be  off  if  he  ex 
pected  to  reach  the  Circle  Bar  by  noon. 


72      THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

He  sat  erect  in  the  saddle,  about  to  wheel  his 
pony  toward  the  draw  through  which  he  had  en 
tered,  when  he  heard  a  sharp  sound.  Startled, 
he  glanced  swiftly  to  his  right,  searching  the  im 
mediate  vicinity  for  the  agency  which  had  created 
sound  in  this  vast  silence.  He  stiffened  slowly 
in  the  saddle,  his  face  gradually  paling.  Not 
over  a  hundred  feet  from  him,  partly  concealed 
by  a  big  boulder,  stood  a  man  with  a  rifle,  the 
muzzle  of  the  weapon  trained  fairly  on  him. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  GIRL  OF  DRY  BOTTOM 

HOLLIS  was  not  frightened,  though  he 
was  in  a  position  that  might  have  aroused 
fear  or  apprehension  in  any  man's  mind. 
He  was  alone,  the  man  had  him  covered  with  the 
rifle,  and  assuredly  this  was  one  of  Dunlavey's 
hirelings. 

Hollis  glanced  swiftly  around.  Certain  signs 
— some  shrubbery  that  he  saw  through  the 
canyon,  a  bald  butte  or  two  rising  in  the  distance 
— told  him  that  he  was  near  the  river.  And  Nor 
ton  had  told  him  to  keep  away  from  the  river 
trail.  In  his  eagerness  to  explore  the  country  he 
had  forgotten  all  about  Norton's  warning. 

The  prospect  was  not  a  hopeful  one,  yet  Hollis 
could  not  have  admitted  to  feeling  any  alarm. 
He  realized  that  had  the  man  intended  any  im 
mediate  harm  he  would  have  shot  him  down  long 
before  this — while  he  had  sat  motionless  in  the 
saddle  inspecting  the  place.  Concerning  the 
man's  intentions  he  could  only  speculate,  but  as 
suredly  they  were  not  peaceful. 

73 


For  a  little  time  the  man  remained  motionless 
and  Hollis  sat  quiet,  looking  at  him.  The 
weapon  had  not  moved ;  its  muzzle  still  menaced 
him  and  he  watched  it  closely,  wondering  whether 
the  man  would  give  him  any  warning  when  about 
to  pull  the  trigger. 

Many  minutes  dragged  and  the  man  did  not 
move.  A  slow  anger  began  to  steal  over  Hollis ; 
the  man's  inaction  grated  on  his  nerves. 

"  Well!  "  he  challenged  sharply.  "  What  do 
you  want  ? " 

There  was  no  answer.  Hollis  could  see  only 
the  man's  head  and  shoulders  projecting  above 
the  boulder,  and  the  rifle — steady  and  level — 
menacing  him.  With  an  exclamation  of  rage 
and  disdain  he  seized  the  bridle  rein  and  pulled 
sharply  on  it,  swinging  the  pony's  head  around. 
The  rifle  crashed  venomously;  Hollis  felt  the 
right  sleeve  of  his  shirt  flutter,  and  he  pulled  the 
pony  abruptly  up. 

"  Just  to  show  you ! "  came  the  man's  voice, 
mockingly.  "  If  you  move  again  until  I  give 
the  word  you  won't  know  where  you've  been 
hit!" 

Hollis  was  satisfied — the  man  undoubtedly 
meant  business.  He  settled  back  into  the  saddle 
and  looked  down  at  his  shirt  sleeve.  The  bullet 
had  passed  very  close  to  the  arm.  If  the  man 


THE   GIRL   OF  DRY  BOTTOM     75 

had  meant  the  bullet  for  that  particular  spot  he 
was  a  deadly  marksman.  In  the  face  of  such 
marvelous  shooting  Hollis  did  not  care  to  experi 
ment  further.  But  his  anger  had  not  yet  abated. 

"No  doubt  you  are  enjoying  yourself!"  he 
said  with  bitter  sarcasm.  "  But  the  pleasure  is 
all  yours.  I  am  not  enjoying  myself  a  bit,  I  as 
sure  you.  And  I  don't  like  the  idea  of  being  a 
target  for  you  to  shoot  at !  " 

A  laugh  came  back  to  Hollis — a  strange,  un 
natural,  sardonic  cackle  that,  in  spite  of  his  self- 
control,  caused  his  flesh  to  creep.  And  then  the 
man's  voice: 

"  No,  you  don't  like  it.  I  knew  that  all  along. 
But  you're  going  to  stay  here  for  seven  weeks 
while  I  shoot  holes  in  you !  "  He  laughed  again, 
his  voice  high  and  shrill,  its  cackling  cadences 
filling  the  place. 

"  Seven  weeks  in  Devil's  Hollow ! "  came  the 
voice  again.  "  Seven  weeks!  Seven  weeks!  " 

Hollis  felt  his  heart  thumping  heavily  against 
his  ribs,  while  a  sinking  sensation  in  the  pit  of  his 
stomach  told  him  that  his  courage  was  touched. 
He  realized  now  why  the  man  had  not  shot  him 
down  immediately.  He  was  a  maniac ! 

For  a  few  terrible  seconds  Hollis  sat  in  the 
saddle  while  the  world  reeled  around  him;  while 
the  rocks  and  cliffs  danced  fantastically.  Cour- 


76      THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

age  he  had  to  be  sure ;  he  had  already  become  re 
signed  to  death  before  the  man's  rifle,  but  he 
had  imagined  the  man  to  be  in  full  possession  of 
his  senses;  imagined  his  death  to  have  been 
planned  out  of  the  deliberate  coolness  of  reason. 
Such  a  death  would  have  been  bad  enough,  but  to 
meet  death  at  the  hands  of  a  man  mentally  un 
balanced  !  Somehow  it  seemed  different,  seemed 
horribly  unreal — like  a  terrible  nightmare. 

It  was  some  seconds  before  he  regained  control 
of  himself,  and  then  he  steadied  himself  in  the 
saddle,  assuring  himself  in  a  burst  of  bitter,  ironic 
humor  that  death  at  the  hands  of  a  crazy  man 
could  be  no  worse  than  death  at  the  hands  of  a 
rational  one. 

He  looked  up  again,  a  defiant  smile  on  his  lips, 
to  see  that  both  man  and  rifle  had  disappeared. 
In  a  flash  he  saw  his  chance  and  took  advantage 
of  it.  In  an  instant  he  was  off  his  pony ;  in  an 
other  he  was  behind  a  convenient  rock,  breathing 
easier,  his  senses  alert.  For  some  little  time  he 
remained  in  the  shelter  of  the  rock,  awaiting  the 
other  man's  movements.  He  did  not  doubt  that 
acting  upon  some  freakish  impulse,  the  man  had 
left  his  boulder  and  was  even  now  stalking  him 
from  some  other  direction.  He  peered  carefully 
about  him.  He  had  no  thought  of  shooting  the 
man — that  would  be  murder,  for  the  man  was  not 


mentally  responsible  for  his  actions.  His  efforts 
must  be  centered  solely  upon  some  plan  for  sav 
ing  his  own  life. 

To  do  this  he  realized  that  he  must  be  careful. 
In  view  of  the  man's  unerring  marksmanship  it 
would  be  certain  death  for  him  to  expose  himself 
for  an  instant.  But  he  must  take  some  chances. 
Convinced  of  this  he  peered  around  the  edge  of 
his  rock,  taking  a  flashing  glance  around  him. 
The  man  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  Hollis  waited 
some  little  time  and  then  taking  another  glance 
and  not  seeing  the  man,  rose  slowly  to  his  feet 
and  crouched.  Then,  filled  with  a  sudden,  reck 
less  impulse,  he  sprang  for  another  rock  a  dozen 
feet  distant,  expecting  each  instant  to  hear  the 
crash  of  the  man's  rifle.  But  he  succeeded  in 
gaining  the  shelter  of  the  other  rock  intact.  Evi 
dently  the  man  was  looking  for  him  in  some  other 
direction. 

Emboldened  with  his  success  he  grimly  deter 
mined  on  advancing  to  another  rock  some  twenty 
or  thirty  feet  farther  on.  As  in  the  first  instance 
he  succeeded  in  gaining  it  in  safety.  His 
maneuvering  had  been  circuitous,  bringing  him 
into  a  position  from  which  he  could  see  partly  be 
hind  the  rock  where  the  man  had  been  con 
cealed. 

And  now,  having  gained  the  second  rock  in 


safety,  Hollis  decided  to  take  no  more  chances. 
Sooner  or  later,  he  was  convinced,  the  man  was 
sure  to  see  him  as  he  jumped.  He  did  not  like 
the  picture  that  his  imagination  conjured  up. 
Therefore  his  actions  were  now  marked  with  more 
caution.  It  took  him  a  long  time  to  gain  a  posi 
tion  where  he  could  peer  over  the  upper  edge  of 
the  rock  behind  which  he  was  concealed.  But 
he  gained  it  finally  and  then  dropped  back  with 
an  exclamation  of  surprise.  He  had  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  man.  He  was  lying  face  upward 
behind  the  boulder,  his  arms  outstretched,  his 
rifle  lying  in  the  dust  near  him. 

Hollis  was  tempted  to  make  a  run  for  his  pony, 
mount,  and  race  out  of  the  hollow.  But  a  second 
thought  restrained  him.  He  had  considered  the 
man's  action  merely  a  ruse,  but  why  should  he 
attempt  it  after  he  had  once  had  an  opportunity 
to  make  use  of  his  rifle  ?  Still  for  an  instant  Hol 
lis  hesitated,  for  he  knew  there  was  no  rule  by 
which  a  maniac's  actions  might  be  judged.  Then 
with  a  grim  laugh  he  sprang  over  the  few  feet 
that  separated  him  from  the  man,  approaching 
him  carefully,  still  slightly  doubtful. 

But  the  man  was  not  shamming;  Hollis  could 
see  that  when  he  had  approached  close  enough 
to  see  his  face.  It  bore  a  curious  pallor,  his  eyes 
were  wide  open  and  staring,  and  some  foam 


THE   GIRL   OF  DRY  BOTTOM     79 

flecked  his  lips.  Evidently  he  had  been  overcome 
by  a  paroxysm  of  his  malady  at  about  the  mo 
ment  Hollis  had  discovered  it. 

Hollis  stepped  back  and  heaved  a  sigh  of  re 
lief.  Then  he  stepped  over  to  where  the  man's 
rifle  lay,  taking  it  up  and  removing  the  cart 
ridges.  Returning  to  the  man  he  removed  the 
cartridges  from  his  belt  and  drew  his  six-shooter 
from  its  holster,  determined  that  when  the  man 
recovered  from  his  stupor  there  would  be  no 
danger  of  a  recurrence  of  the  previous  incident. 
Then  he  leaned  against  the  boulder  to  await  the 
man's  recovery. 

Ten  minutes  later,  while  he  still  watched  the 
man,  he  heard  a  clatter  of  hoofs.  Determined 
not  to  be  taken  by  surprise  again  he  drew  his 
own  six-shooter  and  peered  cautiously  around  the 
edge  of  the  boulder.  What  he  saw  caused  him 
to  jam  the  weapon  back  into  its  holster  very  hur 
riedly.  Then  he  stepped  out  of  his  concealment 
with  a  red,  embarrassed  face  to  greet  a  young 
woman  whose  expression  of  doubt  and  fear  was 
instantly  replaced  by  one  of  pleasure  and  rec 
ognition  as  she  caught  sight  of  him.  It  was  the 
girl  of  Dry  Bottom. 

"Oh!"  she  said.  "Is  it  you?  I  was 

afraid "  And  then  she  saw  the  man  and 

was  off  her  pony  in  a  flash  and  at  his  head,  sup- 


80      THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

porting  it  and  pouring  something  down  his 
throat  from  a  bottle. 

She  rose  presently,  embarrassment  crimson 
ing  her  face.  Hollis  saw  her  lips  quiver  when 
she  turned  and  spoke  to  him. 

"  He  will  be  all  right — now,"  she  said,  facing 
Hollis,  her  eyes  drooping  as  though  ashamed  to 
meet  his.  "  He  has  had  another  attack  of  his 
— his  trouble."  She  looked  suddenly  up  at  Hol 
lis,  bravely  trying  to  repress  her  emotion — but 
with  little  success. 

"  You  heard  what  he — Big  Bill  Dunlavey — 
said  about  my  brother?"  she  questioned,  her 
eyes  full  and  moist.  Hollis  nodded  and  she  con 
tinued  rapidly,  her  voice  quavering:  '  Well,  he 
told  the  truth."  Her  voice  trailed  away  into  a 
pitiful  wail,  and  she  stepped  over  and  leaned 
against  the  boulder,  sobbing  quietly  into  her 
hands.  "  That's  why  it  hurts  so,"  she  added. 

Hollis  yielded  to  a  sudden  wave  of  sympathy. 
He  stood  close  to  her,  aware  of  his  inability  to 
cope  with  this  strange  situation.  She  looked  so 
small,  so  out  of  place,  he  felt  that  whatever  he 
did  or  said  would  not  help  matters.  What  he 
did  say,  however,  assisted  in  restoring  her  com 
posure. 

"  I  am  glad  I  slugged  him! "  he  said  heatedly. 

She  turned  suddenly  to  him,  her  eyes  flashing 
spiritedly  through  the  moisture  in  them. 


THE   GIRL   OF  DRY  BOTTOM     81 

"  Oh,  it  was  great ! "  she  declared,  her  hands 
clenching  at  the  recollection.  "  I  could  have 
shaken  hands  with  you — with  the  hand  that 
struck  him! " 

Hollis  smiled  whimsically.  "  I've  still  got 
the  hand,"  he  said  significantly,  extending  it  to 
ward  her — "  if  you  have  not  reconsidered."  He 
laughed  as  she  took  it  and  pressed  it  firmly.  "  I 
rather  think  that  we've  both  got  a  shake  coming 
on  that,"  he  added.  "  I  didn't  understand  then 
about  your  brother  or  I  would  have  added  a  few 
extra  pounds  to  that  punch." 

Her  face  clouded  as  he  mentioned  her  brother. 
"  Poor  Ed,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice.  She  went 
over  to  the  man,  leaning  over  him  and  smooth 
ing  back  the  hair  from  his  forehead,  Hollis  look 
ing  glumly  on,  clenching  his  teeth  in  impotent 
sympathy. 

'  These  attacks  do  not  come  often,"  she 
volunteered  as  she  again  approached  Hollis. 
"But  they  do  come,"  she  added,  her  voice  catch 
ing.  Hollis  did  not  reply,  feeling  that  he  had 
no  right  to  be  inquisitive.  But  she  continued, 
slightly  more  at  ease  and  plainly  pleased  to  have 
some  one  in  whom  she  might  confide. 

"  Ed  was  injured  a  year  ago  through  a  fall," 
she  informed  Hollis.  "  He  was  breaking  a  wild 
horse  and  a  saddle  girth  broke  and  he  fell,  strik 
ing  on  his  head.  The  wound  healed,  but  he  has 


82       THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

never  been  the  same.  At  intervals  these  attacks 
come  on  and  then  he  is  irresponsible — and 
dangerous."  She  shuddered.  "  You  were 
watching  him,"  she  added,  looking  suddenly  at 
him;  "  did  you  find  him  as  he  is  or  did  he  at 
tack  you?  Frequently  when  he  has  these  at 
tacks  he  comes  here  to  Devil's  Hollow,  explain 
ing  that  he  expects  to  find  some  of  Dunlavey's 
men.  He  doesn't  like  Dunlavey,"  she  added 
with  a  flush,  "  since  Dunlavey "  She  hesi 
tated  and  then  went  on  determinedly — "  well, 
since  Dunlavey  told  him  that  he  wanted  to  marry 
me.  But  Ed  says  that  Dunlavey  has  a  wife  in 
Tucson  and — well,  I  wouldn't  have  married  him 
anyway — the  brute !  " 

"  Exactly,"  agreed  Hollis  gravely,  trying  to 
repress  a  thrill  of  satisfaction;  "of  course  you 
couldn't  marry  him."  He  understood  now  the 
meaning  of  Dunlavey's  words  to  her  in  Dry  Bot 
tom.  "  If  you  wasn't  such  a  damn  prude,"  he 
had  said.  He  looked  at  the  girl  with  a  sudden, 
grim  smile.  "  He  said  something  about  run 
ning  you  and  your  brother  out  of  the  country," 
he  said ;  "  of  course  you  won't  allow  him  to  do 
that?" 

The  girl's  slight  figure  stiffened.  "  I  would 
like  to  see  him  try  itl "  she  declared  defiantly. 

Hollis    grinned.     "That's    the    stuff!"    he 


THE   GIRL   OF  DRY,  BOTTOM     83 

sympathized.  "  I  rather  think  that  Dunlavey 
is  something  of  a  bluffer — that  folks  in  this  coun 
try  have  allowed  him  to  have  his  own  way  too 
much." 

She  shook  her  head  doubtfully.  "  I  don't 
know  about  that,"  she  returned.  Then  she 
smiled.  "  You  are  the  new  owner  of  the  Circle 
Bar,  aren't  you?" 

Hollis  started,  looking  at  her  with  a  surprised 
smile.  "  Yes,"  he  returned,  "  I  am  the  new 
owner.  But  how  did  you  know  it?  I  haven't 
told  anyone  here  except  Neil  Norton  and  Judge 
Graney.  Have  Norton  and  the  Judge  been 
talking?" 

;<  They  haven't  talked  to  me,"  she  assured  him 
with  a  demure  smile.  "  You  see,"  she  added, 
"  you  were  a  stranger  in  Dry  Bottom,  and  after 
you  left  the  Fashion  you  went  right  down  to  the 
court  house.  I  knew  Judge  Graney  had  been 
your  father's  friend.  And  then  I  saw  Neil  Nor 
ton  coming  into  town  with  the  buckboard."  She 
laughed.  "  You  see,  it  wasn't  yery  hard  to  add 
two  and  two." 

"  Why,  no,"  Hollis  agreed,  "  it  wasn't.  But 
how  did  you  happen  to  see  me  go  down  to  the 
court  house?  " 

"  Why,  I  watched  you ! "  she  returned.  And 
then  suddenly  aware  of  her  mistake  in  admitting 


that  she  had  felt  an  interest  in  him  at  their  first 
meeting,  she  lowered  her  gaze  in  confusion  and 
stood,  kicking  with  her  booted  toe  into  a  hum 
mock,  her  face  suddenly  very  red. 

The  situation  might  have  been  embarrassing 
for  her  had  not  her  brother  created  a  diversion 
by  suddenly  sighing  and  struggling  to  sit  up. 
The  girl  was  at  his  side  in  an  instant,  assisting 
him.  The  young  man's  bewilderment  was  piti 
ful.  He  sat  silent  for  a  full  minute,  gazing  first 
at  his  sister  and  then  at  Hollis,  and  finally  at  his 
surroundings.  Then,  when  a  rational  gleam  had 
come  into  his  eyes  he  bowed  his  head,  a  blush  of 
shame  sweeping  over  his  face  and  neck. 

"  I  expect  I've  been  at  it  again,"  he  muttered, 
without  looking  up. 

The  girl  leaned  over  him,  reassuring  him,  pat 
ting  his  face  lovingly,  letting  him  know  by  all  a 
woman's  arts  of  the  sympathy  and  love  she  bore 
for  him.  Hollis  watched  her  with  a  grim,  sat 
isfied  smile.  If  he  had  had  a  sister  he  would 
have  hoped  that  she  would  be  like  her.  He 
stepped  forward  and  seized  the  young  man  by 
the  arm,  helping  him  to  his  feet. 

*  You  are  right  now,"  he  assured  him;  "  there 
has  been  no  harm  done." 

Standing,  the  young  man  favored  Hollis  with 
a  careful  inspection.  He  flushed  again.  "  You're 


THE   GIRL   OF  DRY  BOTTOM     85 

the  man  that  rode  through  the  draw,"  he  said. 
"  I  saw  you  and  thought  you  were  one  of  Dun- 
lavey's  men.  I  shot  at  you  once,  and  was  go 
ing  to  shoot  again,  but  something  cracked  in  my 
head.  I  hope  I  didn't  hit  you."  Embarrass 
ment  again  seized  him ;  his  eyes  drooped.  "  Of 
course  you  are  not  one  of  Dunlavey's  men,"  he 
added,  "  or  you  wouldn't  be  here,  talking  to  sis. 
No  friend  of  Dunlavey's  could  do  that."  He 
looked  at  the  girl  with  a  tender  smile.  "  I  don't 
know  what  I'd  do  if  it  wasn't  for  her,"  he  added, 
speaking  to  Hollis.  "  But  I  expect  it's  a  good 
thing  that  I'm  not  crazy  all  the  time."  He 
looked  searchingly  at  Hollis.  "  I've  never  seen 
you  before,"  he  said.  "  Who  are  you?  " 

"  I  am  Kent  Hollis." 

The  young  man's  eyes  lighted.  "Not  Jim 
Hollis's  son? "  he  asked. 

Hollis  nodded.  The  young  man's  face  re 
vealed  genuine  pleasure.  "  You  going  to  stay 
in  this  here  country?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  am  going  to  run  the  Circle  Bar,"  returned 
Hollis  slowly. 

"  Bully !  "  declared  the  young  man.  "  There's 
some  folks  around  here  said  you  wouldn't  have 
nerve  enough  to  stay."  He  made  a  wry  face. 
"  But  I  reckon  you've  got  nerve  or  you'd  have 
hit  the  breeze  when  I  started  to  stampede."  He 


86      THE   COMING   OF   THE  L'AW 

suddenly  held  out  a  hand.  "  I  like  you,"  he  said 
impulsively.  '  You  and  me  are  going  to  be 
friends.  Shake!" 

Hollis  saw  a  smile  of  pleasure  light  up  the 
girl's  face,  which  she  tried  to  conceal  by  brushing 
the  young  man's  clothing  with  a  gloved  hand, 
meanwhile  keeping  him  between  her  and  Hollis. 

Hollis  stood  near  the  boulder,  watching  them 
as  they  prepared  to  depart,  the  girl  telling  her 
brother  that  he  would  find  his  pony  on  the  plains 
beyond  the  canyon. 

"  I  am  glad  I  didn't  hit  you,"  the  young  man 
told  Hollis  as  he  started  away  with  the  girl.  "  If 
you  are  not  scared  off  you  might  take  a  run  down 
to  the  shack  some  time — it's  just  down  the  creek 
a  ways." 

Hollis  hesitated  and  then,  catching  the  girl's 
glance,  he  smiled. 

"  I  can't  promise  when,"  he  said,  looking  at 
the  girl,  "  but  you  may  be  sure  that  I  will  look 
you  up  the  first  chance  I  get." 

He  stood  beside  the  boulder  until  he  saw  them 
disappear  around  the  wall  of  the  canyon.  Then 
with  a  satisfied  grin  he  walked  to  his  pony, 
mounted,  and  was  off  through  the  draw  toward 
the  Circle  Bar  ranchhouse. 


CHAPTER   VI 

HOLLIS   RENEWS   AN   ACQUAINTANCE 

RUMOR,  that  mysterious  disseminator  of 
news  whose  tongues  are  legion,  whispered 
that  the  Dry  Bottom  Kicker  was  to  comes 
to  life.  Wherefore  curiosity  led  many  of  Dry 
Bottom's  citizens  past  the  door  of  the  Kicker 
office  to  steal  covert  glances  at  the  young  man 
whose  figure  was  bent  over  the  desk  inside* 
Many  passed  in  silence  after  looking  at  the 
young  man — he  did  not  see  them.  Others  com 
mented  gravely  or  humorously  according  to  their 
whim — the  young  man  did  not  hear  them.; 
Seated  at  the  desk  he  gave  his  attention  to  the 
tasks  before  him — he  was  not  concerned  withi 
rumor;  the  curiosity  of  Dry  Bottom's  citizens 
did  not  affect  him.  Seriously,  methodically, 
steadily,  he  worked  at  his  desk,  while  rumor 
wagged  her  tongues  and  curiosity  lounged  past 
the  window. 

It  was  Hollis's  first  visit  to  the  Kicker  office  J 
he  had  come  to  work  and  there  was  much  that  he 
could  do.  He  had  found  the  Kicker  installed  in 
a  one  story  frame  building,  verging  upon  dilapi- 

87 


88      THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

dation,  unpainted,  dingy.  The  appearance  of 
its  exterior  had  given  Hollis  a  queer  sensation 
in  the  pit  of  the  stomach.  He  was  cheered  a 
little  by  the  businesslike  appearance  of  the  in 
terior.  It  was  not  what  he  had  been  used  to,  but 
he  felt  that  it  would  answer  very  well  in  this 
locality,  and — well,  he  planned  to  make  improve 
ments. 

About  twenty  by  forty,  he  estimated  the  size 
of  the  interior.  Originally  there  had  been  only 
one  room.  This  had  been  divided  into  three  sec 
tions  by  partitions.  An  old,  flat-topped  desk 
sat  near  the  front  window,  a  swivel  chair  before 
it.  Along  the  wall  above  the  desk  were  several 
rows  of  shelving  with  paste-board  boxes  and 
paper  piled  neatly  up.  Calendars,  posters,  and 
other  specimens  of  the  printer's  art  covered  the 
walls.  In  the  next  room  was  another  desk. 
Piles  of  advertising  electrotypes,  empty  forms, 
and  papers  filled  the  corners.  The  composing 
room  was  in  the  rear.  Everything  was  in  order 
here;  type  cases,  stands,  forms.  There  were  a 
proof  press,,  some  galley  racks,  a  printing  press, 
with  a  forlorn-looking  gasolene  engine  near  it. 
A  small  cast-iron  stove  stood  in  a  corner  with  its 
door  yawning  open,  its  front  bespattered  with 
tobacco  juice.  A  dilapidated  imposing  stone 
ranged  along  the  rear  wall  near  a  door  that 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE  89 

opened  into  the  sunlight.  A  man  stood  before 
one  of  the  type  cases  distributing  type.  He  did 
not  look  up  at  Hollis's  entrance. 

"Hello!"  greeted  Hollis. 

The  man  hesitated  in  his  work  and  looked  up. 
"  Hello,"  he  returned,  perfunctorily. 

"  I  suppose  your  name  is  Potter? "  Hollis  in 
quired  cordially.  Judge  Graney  had  told  him 
that  if  he  succeeded  in  finding  the  compositor  he 
would  have  him  at  the  Kicker  office  this  morn 
ing.  Potter  had  gone  to  work  without  further 
orders- 

"  Yes,"  said  the  man.     He  came  forward. 

"  I  am  the  new  owner  of  the  Kicker"  Hollis 
informed  him  with  a  smile. 

"Jim  Hollis's  boy?"  inquired  Potter, 
straightening.  At  Hollis's  nod  he  stepped 
quickly  forward  and  grasped  the  hand  the  latter 
offered  him,  squeezing  it  tightly.  "  Of  course 
you  are  Jim  Hollis's  boy ! "  he  said,  finishing  his 
inspection.  "  You  are  the  living  image  of  him ! ", 
He  swept  his  hand  around  toward  the  type  case. 
"  I  am  working,  you  see.  Judge  Graney  wrote 
me  last  week  that  you  wanted  me  and  I  came  as 
soon  as  I  could.  Is  it  true  that  the  Kicker  is 
going  to  be  a  permanent  institution?  " 

"  The  Kicker  is  here  to  stay! "  Hollis  informed 
him. 


90      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

Potter's  face  lighted  with  pleasure.  "  That's 
buUy !  "  he  said.  "  That's  bully !  " 

He  was  of  medium  height,  slender,  lean  faced, 
with  a  magnificent  head,  and  a  wealth  of  brown 
hair  thickly  streaked  with  silver.  His  thin  lips 
were  strong;  his  chin,  though  a  trifle  weak,  was 
well  formed;  his  eyes  slightly  bleared,  but  re 
vealing,  in  spite  of  this  defect,  unmistakable  in 
telligence.  In  the  first  flashing  glance  which 
Hollis  had  taken  at  him  he  had  been  aware  that 
here  was  a  person  of  more  than  ordinary  mental 
ability  and  refinement.  It  was  with  a  pang  of 
pity  that  he  remembered  Judge  Graney's  words 
to  the  effect  that  he  was  a  good  workman — 
"  when  sober."  Hollis  felt  genuinely  sorry  for 
him. 

"  I  have  had  a  talk  with  Judge  Graney,"  vol 
unteered  Potter.  "  He  tells  me  that  you  are  a 
newspaper  man.  Between  us  we  ought  to  be 
able  to  get  out  a  very  respectable  paper." 

"We  will,"  calmly  announced  Hollis;  "and 
we'll  get  the  first  issue  out  Saturday.  Come  in 
here  and  we'll  talk  about  it." 

He  led  the  way  to  the  front  room  and  seated 
himself  at  the  desk,  motioning  Potter  to  another 
chair.  Within  the  next  hour  he  knew  all  about 
the  Kicker.  It  was  a  six-column  sheet  of  four 
pages.  The  first  page  was  devoted  to  local  news. 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE  91 

The  second  carried  some  local  advertisements, 
exchange  clippings,  and  two  or  three  columns  of 
syndicate  plate  matter.  On  the  third  page  two 
columns  were  devoted  to  editorials,  one  to  adver 
tisements,  and  three  to  local  news  in  large  type. 
The  fourth,  and  last  page  was  filled  with  more 
plate  matter  and  a  litter  of  "  foreign  "  advertis 
ing — patent-medicines,  soaps,  hair-dye. 

At  the  first  glance  it  appeared  that  the  paper 
must  be  a  paying  proposition,  for  there  were  a 
goodly  proportion  of  advertisements.  Yet  Hol- 
lis  had  his  suspicions  about  the  advertisements. 
When  he  had  spoken  to  Potter  about  them  he  dis 
covered  that  quite  a  number  of  them  were  what 
is  known  to  the  craft  as  "  dead  ads  " — which 
meant  advertisements  upon  which  payment  had 
ceased  and  which  were  carried  either  for  the  pur 
pose  of  filling  up  the  paper  or  because  it  was 
found  cheaper  to  run  them  than  to  set  type  for 
the  space  which  would  be  left  by  their  absence. 

"  We  won't  carry  any  dead  ads !  "  announced 
Hollis. 

"  Several  of  these  are  big  merchants,"  said 
Potter,  pointing  them  out  with  inky  forefinger; 
"  though  the  contracts  have  run  out  the  appear 
ance  of  their  ads  lends  the  Kicker  a  certain  moral 
support — the  little  fellows  don't  know  that  they 
are  not  paid  for  and  it  draws  their  business." 


92       THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

*  We  don't  care  for  that  kind  of  business," 
smiled  Hollis ;  "  we're  going  to  run  a  real  news 
paper.  We're  going  to  get  paid  ads ! " 

"  I  hope  so,"  hesitatingly  replied  Potter. 

"  Of  course  you  do,"  laughed  Hollis ;  "  but 
whether  we  get  paid  ads  or  not  this  newspaper  is 
coming  out  regularly  and  on  time.  Further 
more,  we're  going  to  cut  down  on  this  plate  stuff ; 
we  don't  want  a  paper  filled  with  stale  articles  on 
snakes,  antedated  ocean  disasters,  Egyptian 
monoliths,  and  the  latest  style  in  opera  hats. 
We'll  fill  the  paper  with  local  news — we'll  ginger 
things  up  a  little.  You  are  pretty  well  ac 
quainted  here — I'll  leave  the  local  items  to  you. 
What  town  near  here  compares  with  Dry  Bot 
tom  in  size? " 

"  There's  Lazette,"  returned  Potter;  "  over  in 
Colfax  County." 

"  How  far  from  here? " 

"  Eighty  miles." 

"  Got  a  newspaper? " 

"Yes;  the  Eagle." 

"Bully!  Step  on  the  Eagle's  toes.  Make 
the  Eagle  scream.  Get  into  an  argument  with  it 
about  something — anything.  Tell  Lazette  that 
as  a  town  it's  forty  miles  behind  Dry  Bottom. 
That  will  stir  up  public  spirit  and  boom  our  sub 
scription  list.  You  see,  Potter,  civic  pride  is  a 


AN.  ACQUAINTANCE  93 

big  asset  to  a  newspaper.  We'll  start  a  row 
right  off  the  reel.  Furthermore,  we're  going  to 
have  some  telegraph  news.  I'll  make  arrange 
ments  for  that  to-day." 

Hollis's  enthusiasm  was  infectious;  a  flash  of 
spirit  lighted  up  Potter's  eyes  as  he  rose  from 
his  chair.  "  I'm  going  to  set  up  the  head  for  the 
first  page,"  he  said-  "  Probably  you'll  want  a 
slogan ;  that  sort  of  thing  is  the  style  out  here." 

'  We'll  have  one,"  returned  Hollis  briskly. 
"  Set  this  in  triple  leads: '  We  Herald  the  Com 
ing  of  the  Law!  The  Kicker  is  Here  to  Stay! ' 

"  Good !  "  declared  Potter.  He  went  into  the 
composing  room  and  Hollis  saw  his  fine  old  head 
bent  over  a  type  case.  Hollis  turned  to  his  desk. 

He  sat  there  long,  his  tall,  lithe  body  slack, 
grim,  serious  lines  in  his  lean  face.  He  had 
thought  of  his  conversation  with  Judge  Graney 
concerning  ambition — his  ambition,  the  picture 
upon  which  his  mind  had  dwelt  many  times.  A 
little  frame  printing  office  in  the  West  was  not 
one  of  its  features.  He  sighed  with  resignation 
and  began  methodically  to  look  over  the  papers 
in  the  desk,  finding  many  things  to  interest  him. 
He  discovered  that  in  spite  of  his  father's  one 
great  fault  he  had  been  a  methodical  man.  He 
smiled  regretfully,  wishing  that  he  might  have 
been  able  to  have  seen  more  of  him.  Among  the 


94      THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

papers  he  hoped  to  find  a  personal  note — a  word 
— from  his  father.  He  found  nothing  of  that 
character. 

After  a  time  he  took  up  a  pen  and  began  to 
write.  Long  ago  he  had  decided  that  in  the  first 
issue  of  the  paper  he  would  attack  the  Cattle 
men's  Association.  Judge  Graney  had  ridden 
out  to  the  Circle  Bar  on  the  previous  Saturday 
afternoon,  remaining  over  Sunday,  and  accom 
panying  Hollis  on  the  return  trip  Monday 
morning. 

While  at  the  ranch  the  Judge  had  spent  much 
of  his  time  in  communicating  to  Hollis  his  views 
of  the  situation  in  Union  County  and  in  acquaint 
ing  him  with  the  elder  Hollis's  intentions  re 
garding  the  newspaper.  Hollis  had  made  some 
inquiries  on  his  own  account,  with  the  result  that 
when  he  reached  the  Kicker  office  this  morning 
he  felt  that  he  had  acquired  a  good  and  sufficient 
knowledge  of  the  situation. 

Looking  over  the  old  copy  of  the  Kicker  he 
studied  some  of  the  advertisements.  Evidently 
some  Dry  Bottom  merchants  had  been  brave 
enough  to  antagonize  Dunlavey  by  advertising 
in  the  Kicker.  With  this  copy  of  the  Kicker  in 
hand  Hollis  rose  from  his  desk,  told  Potter  he 
was  going  out,  and  proceeded  to  visit  some  of 
the  merchants  whose  advertisements  appeared  in 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE  VB 

the  paper,  hoping  that  their  bravery  still  abided 
with  them.  He  made  a  good  solicitor.  Some 
of  the  merchants  flatly  refused,  saying  they  did 
not  care  to  risk  Dunlavey's  anger.  Others  de 
murred,  confidentially  announcing  that  they  had 
never  considered  the  paper  seriously  and  that 
there  was  really  no  good  in  advertising  in  Dry 
Bottom  anyway — the  town  wasn't  big  enough. 
Half  a  dozen  listened  quietly  while  he  told  them 
that  the  Kicker  was  in  Dry  Bottom  to  stay  and 
then  smiled  and  told  him  to  run  their  advertise 
ments.  They  rather  admired  his  "  nerve  "  and 
were  not  afraid  of  Dunlavey. 

At  noon  Hollis  stepped  into  a  restaurant  called 
the  Alhambra.  While  he  ate  he  was  critically 
inspected;  the  Alhambra  swarmed  with  custom 
ers,  and  the  proprietor  quietly  informed  him  that 
he  was  a  "  drawin'  card  "  and  hoped  he'd  "  grub  " 
there  regularly.  In  return  for  his  promise  to  do 
so  Hollis  secured  his  advertisement. 

Leaving  the  Alhambra  he  returned  to  the 
Kicker  office,  seating  himself  again  at  his  desk. 
The  sun  came  slantwise  through  the  window  full 
upon  him ;  the  heat  was  oppressive ;  the  flint  like 
alkali  dust  sifted  through  the  crevices  in  the 
building  and  settled  over  everything  in  the  room ; 
myriad  flies  droned  in  the  white  sunlight  before 
the  open  door.  He  heard  nothing,  felt  nothing, 


96      THE   COMING   OF  THE  LAW 

saw  nothing — for  his  thoughts  were  miles  away, 
in  an  upper  story  of  a  big  office  building  in  the 
East  from  whose  windows  he  even  now  looked 
down  upon  a  bustling  city. 

Life  would  be  so  different  here.  He  heard  a 
sound  behind  him  and  turned.  Dunlavey  was 
standing  just  inside  the  door,  his  great  arms 
folded  over  his  chest.  He  had  been  watching 
Hollis,  his  eyes  narrowed  with  a  cynically  humor 
ous  expression. 

Hollis  knew  that  by  this  time  Dunlavey  must 
have  discovered  his  identity.  He  swung  slowly 
around  in  his  chair,  his  face  wearing  an  expres 
sion  of  whimsical  amusement  as  he  greeted  his 
victim  of  a  few  days  previous. 

"  Welcome  to  the  Kicker  office,"  he  said 
quietly. 

Dunlavey  did  not  move.  Evidently  he  had  ex 
pected  another  sort  of  greeting  and  was  slightly 
puzzled  over  Hollis's  manner.  He  remained 
motionless  and  Hollis  had  an  opportunity  to 
study  him  carefully  and  thoroughly.  His  con 
clusions  were  brief  and  comprehensive.  They 
were  expressed  tersely  to  himself  as  he  waited 
for  Dunlavey  to  speak:  "  A  trickster  and  a  cheat 
— dangerous." 

Dunlavey's  eyes  flashed  metallically  for  an 
instant,  but  immediately  the  humorous  cynicism 
name  into  them  again. 


AN>  ACQUAINTANCE  97 

"  I  don't  think  you  mean  all  of  that,"  he  said 
evenly. 

Hollis  laughed.  "  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of 
saying  things  that  I  do  not  mean,"  he  said  quietly. 
"  I  am  here  to  do  business  and  I  am  ready  to 
talk  to  anybody  who  wants  to  do  business  with 
me." 

Dunlavey's  hands  fell  to  his  sides  and  were 
shoved  into  his  capacious  trousers'  pockets. 
"  Right,"  he  said  tersely:  "  that's  what  I'm  here 
for — to  talk  business." 

He  pulled  a  chair  over  close  to  Hollis  and 
seated  himself  in  it,  moving  deliberately,  a  cer 
tain  grim  reserve  in  his  manner.  Hollis  watched 
him,  marveling  at  his  self-control.  He  reflected 
that  it  required  will  power  of  a  rare  sort  to  re 
press  or  conceal  the  rage  which  he  surely  must 
feel  over  his  humiliation  of  two  weeks  before. 
That  Dunlavey  was  able  to  so  mask  his  feelings 
convinced  Hollis  that  he  had  to  deal  with  a  man 
of  extraordinary  character. 

"  I  recollect  meeting  you  the  other  day,"  said 
Dunlavey  after  he  had  become  seated.  He 
smiled  with  his  lips,  his  eyes  glittering  again. 
"  I'll  say  that  we  got  acquainted  then.  There 
ain't  no  need  for  us  to  shake  hands  now."  He 
showed  his  teeth  in  a  mirthless  grin.  "  I  didn't 
know  you  then,  but  I  know  you  now.  You're 
Jim  Hollis's  boy." 


98      THE  COMING  OF  THE  LAW1 

Hollis  nodded.  Dunlavey  continued  evenly: 
"  Your  father  and  me  wasn't  what  you  might  call 
bosom  friends.  I  reckon  Judge  Graney  has  told 
you  that — if  he  ain't  you've  heard  it  from  some 
one  else.  It  don't  make  any  difference.  So 
there  won't  be  any  misunderstanding  I'll  tell  you 
that  I  ain't  figgering  on  you  and  me  hitching  up 
to  the  mutual  friendship  wagon  either.  I  might 
say  that  we  wasn't  introduced  right."  He 
grinned  evilly.  "  But  I  ain't  letting  what  hap 
pened  interfere  with  the  business  that's  brought 
me  here  to-day.  I've  heard  that  you're  intend 
ing  to  start  the  Kicker  again ;  that  you're  figger 
ing  on  staying  here  and  running  the  Circle  Bar. 
What  I'm  here  for  is  to  buy  you  out.  I'm  of 
fering  you  fifteen  thousand  dollars  for  the  Circle 
Bar  and  this  damn  newspaper." 

Dunlavey  had  lost  a  little  of  the  composure 
which  had  characterized  his  actions  since  entering 
the  office  and  the  last  words  of  his  speech  had 
writhed  venomously  through  his  lips. 

Hollis's  face  betrayed  absolutely  no  emotion. 
Though  Dunlavey's  visit  to  the  Kicker  office  had 
surprised  him  he  was  not  surprised  at  his  offer 
for  the  ranch  and  the  newspaper,  for  according 
to  Judge  Graney  he  had  made  some  such  offer 
to  the  elder  Hollis.  Coming  now,  with  an  addi 
tion  of  five  thousand  dollars,  Dunlavey's  offer 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE  99 

seemed  to  advertise  his  reluctance  to  continue  the 
war  that  he  had  waged.  Hollis  appreciated  the 
situation.  If  Dunlavey  were  to  buy  him  off  now 
there  would  come  an  end  to  the  warfare  that  had 
already  been  an  expensive  one  for  the  interests 
represented  by  Dunlavey.  Likewise,  the  accept 
ance  of  the  offer  would  give  Hollis  an  opportun 
ity  to  withdraw  gracefully.  Dunlavey  had 
placed  the  issue  squarely  before  him.  The 
young  man  held  his  future  in  his  hands  and  he 
did  not  reply  at  once. 

He  sat  silent  for  a  few  moments,  studying  the 
coarse,  brutal  face  of  the  man  seated  before  him, 
noting  that  his  under  jaw  had  come  forward 
slightly,  and  that  the  cold,  hard  glitter  had  come 
again  in  his  eyes.  However,  Hollis's  silence 
meant  nothing  beyond  the  fact  that  he  was  going 
slowly  over  the  history  of  the  fight  between  his 
father  and  the  man  who  sat  there  representing 
the  interests  which  had  begun  the  war.  He  had 
no  thought  of  surrendering — that  would  be  dis 
honorable.  He  was  merely  revolving  the  situa 
tion  in  his  mind,  considering  how  best  to  word  his 
refusal.  He  did  not  want  to  appear  belligerent ; 
he  did  not  want  to  precipitate  war.  But  he  did 
want  Dunlavey  to  know  that  he  purposed  to  have 
his  rights ;  he  wanted  Dunlavey  to  know  that  he 
could  not  be  frightened  into  surrendering  them. 


100    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

He  clasped  one  hand  over  his  knee  and  leaned 
back  in  his  chair,  his  gaze  meeting  Dunlavey's 
steadily. 

"  Dunlavey,"  he  said  quietly,  "  what  is  the 
actual  value  of  the  Circle  Bar  ranch?  " 

Dunlavey    smiled    blandly.     "  You    couldn't 
find  any  man  around  these  parts  to  take  it  at  any 
price,'*  he  returned. 
L  "  Why?  "  questioned  Hollis. 

Dunlavey  grinned  mysteriously.  "  I  reckon 
you  know  why,"  he  returned ;  "  you're  pretty 
much  of  a  tenderfoot,  but  I  reckon  Judge  Graney 
has  put  you  wise  to  the  situation.  There  ain't 
nobody  wants  to  buy  the  Circle  Bar  except  me." 

"  Why?  "  persisted  Hollis. 

"  I  reckon  you  know  that  too,"  laughed  Dun 
lavey.  "  It  ain't  no  secret.  The  Cattlemen's 
Association  is  running  things  in  this  here  county 
and  it  ain't  wanting  anyone  to  buy  the  Circle  Bar 
except  me.  And  nobody  is  fool  enough  to 
antagonize  the  Association.  That's  the  why,  if 
you  want  to  know  real  bad." 

"  You  are  frank  about  it  at  any  rate,"  conceded 
Hollis  smiling  slightly.  "  But  that  doesn't  get 
us  anywhere.  What  I  am  trying  to  get  at  is 
this:  what  would  the  Circle  Bar  bring  in  cash  if 
the  Cattlemen's  Association  ceased  to  be  a  factor 
in  the  county?" 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE  lol 

Dunlavey  grinned  broadly.  "  For  a  tender 
foot  you're  real  amusing,"  he  derided.  "  There 
ain't  nobody  out  here  crazy  enough  to  think  that 
the  Cattlemen's  Association  will  ever  be  put  out 
of  business ! " 

Hollis's  lips  curled  a  little,  but  his  gaze  was 
still  steady. 

"  That's  evasion,  Dunlavey,"  he  said  quietly. 
"  You  will  remember  that  I  asked  you  what  the 
Circle  Bar  would  bring  '  if '  the  Association 
ceased  to  be  a  factor." 

Dunlavey  favored  Hollis  with  a  perplexed 
grin.  "  I  don't  know  what  difference  that 
makes,"  he  returned.  "  We're  dealing  with 
what's  before  us  now — we  ain't  considering  what 
might  be.  But  if  you  want  to  know  my  personal 
opinion  it's  that  the  Circle  Bar  might  bring  thirty 
thousand." 

"  Thanks,"  said  Hollis  dryly;  "that's  getting 
somewhere.  And  now  we'll  be  able  to  talk  busi 
ness.  We've  got  thirty  thousand  to  start  with. 
I  am  told  that  when  the  Association  began  its 
war  against  my  father  he  was  rather  prosperous. 
Usually  he  rounded  up  about  two  thousand  head 
of  cattle.  But  we'll  call  it  a  thousand.  We'll 
say  that  they  brought  about  thirty  dollars  a  head, 
which  would  make  an  income  of  thirty  thousand 
dollars  a  year,  gross.  We'll  deduct  fifty  per  cent 


102     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

for  operating  expenses,  losses,  and  so  on.  That 
would  leave  about  fifteen  thousand.  You've 
been  fighting  the  Circle  Bar  for  several  years. 
We'll  call  it  five.  Five  times  fifteen  thousand  is 
seventy-five  thousand.  That  represents  the  sum 
which  my  father  would  have  made  from  the  Cir 
cle  Bar  if  you  had  not  fought  him.  Add  to  that 
the  thirty  thousand  which  you  admit  would  be  a 
fair  figure  for  the  ranch  if  the  Association  were 
eliminated  as  a  factor,  and  we  have  a  total  of  one 
hundred  and  five  thousand  dollars."  He  smiled 
and  leaned  a  little  farther  back  in  his  chair,  nar 
rowing  his  eyes  at  Dunlavey.  "  Now  we  have 
reached  a  point  where  we  can  get  somewhere. 
I'll  take  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  the 
Circle  Bar." 

The  calm  announcement  had  no  effect  upon 
Dunlavey  except  to  cause  him  to  grin  derisively. 

"  For  a  tenderfoot  you're  pretty  slick,"  he  al 
lowed,  his  teeth  showing.  *  You've  figgered  it 
out  so  that  it  sounds  right  reasonable.  But 
you've  forgot  one  thing.  The  Cattlemen's  Asso 
ciation  ain't  eliminated.  It  says  that  the  Circle 
Bar  is  worth  fifteen  thousand.  You'll  take  that 

or "  He  smiled  grimly,  holding  back  the 

threat. 

"  I  think  I  know  what  you  mean,"  said  Hollis 
quietly,  without  changing  color.  "  You  mean 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE  103 

that  the  Cattlemen's  Association  will  continue  its 
fight  and  eventually  ruin  the  Circle  Bar-  Per 
haps  it  will — no  man  can  tell  what  lies  in  the 
future.  But  I  can  tell  you  this:  you  can't  retard 
progress." 

"No?"  said  Dunlavey  with  an  irritating 
drawl. 

Hollis  smiled  composedly.  He  spoke  without 
bitterness.  "  Dunlavey,"  he  said,  "  I'm  going  to 
tell  you  something  which  you  perhaps  know  but 
will  not  admit.  Your  Association  has  been  suc 
cessful  in  pulling  the  strings  which  make  the 
politicians  at  Washington  jump  to  do  your  bid 
ding.  I  don't  accuse  you  of  buying  them,  but 
in  any  event  they  have  greased  the  ways  over 
which  your  Association  has  slipped  to  power. 
And  now  you  think  that  the  impetus  you  have 
gained  will  carry  you  along  indefinitely.  It 
won't.  Everything  in  this  world  runs  its 
natural  course  and  when  it  does  there  comes  an 
end. 

"  If  you  were  endowed  with  the  average  fore 
sight  you  would  be  able  to  see  that  things  can 
not  always  go  on  the  way  they  have.  The  law 
must  come.  It  is  inevitable.  Its  coming  will  be 
facilitated  by  such  organizations  as  the  Cattle 
men's  Association  and  by  such  men  as  you.  Back 
in  the  East  the  forces  of  Good  and  Bad  are  bat- 


104    THE   COMING  OF.  THE  LAW 

tling.  The  forces  of  Good  will  be  victorious. 
The  government  at  Washington  is  familiar  with 
the  conditions  that  exist  here  and  sooner  or  later 
will  be  compelled  to  act.  When  it  does  the  small 
cattle  owner  will  receive  protection." 

"  We're  holding  tight  till  the  law  comes," 
sneered  Dunlavey;  "  which  won't  be  soon." 

"  Perhaps  not,"  admitted  Hollis  dryly ;  "  good 
things  come  slowly.  Meanwhile,  if  you  don't 
care  to  accept  my  figure  for  the  Circle  Bar  I 
shall  follow  your  example  and  hold  tight  until 
the  law  comes." 

"Meaning  that  you  won't  sell,  I  suppose?" 
sneered  Dunlavey. 

"  Meaning  just  that,"  returned  Hollis  quietly. 
"  I  am  going  to  fight  you.  I  have  offered  the 
Circle  Bar  at  a  fair  figure  and  you  have  re 
sponded  with  threats.  I  wouldn't  sell  to  you  now 
if  you  offered  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand. 
The  Circle  Bar  is  not  for  sale ! " 

Dunlavey  had  not  moved.  He  sat  quiet,  lean 
ing  a  little  forward,  his  hands  resting  on  his 
knees,  his  eyes  narrowed  to  glittering  pin-points 
as  he  watched  Hollis.  When  the  latter  had  con 
cluded  he  leaned  back,  laughing  hoarsely. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  this  damn 
newspaper?  "  he  demanded. 

"  The  newspaper  will  be  used  as  a  weapon " 


AN.  ACQUAINTANCE  105 

against  you,"  returned  Hollis.  "  It  will  kick 
loud  and  long  against  such  organizations  as 
the  Cattlemen's  Association — against  such  men 
as  you.  Ostensibly  the  Kicker  will  be  a  Dry 
Bottom  newspaper,  but  it  will  appear  in  every 
city  in  the  East ;  the  matter  that  appears  in  it  will 
be  reprinted  in  Chicago,  in  Washington,  in  New 
York — in  fact  in  every  city  in  which  I  have  a 
friend  engaged  in  the  newspaper  business — and 
I  have  a  number.  I  am  going  to  stir  up  senti 
ment  against  you.  I  am  going  to  be  the  Law's 
advance  agent ! " 

Dunlavey  rose,  his  lips  curling  with  contempt. 
"  You  make  me  sick !  "  he  sneered.  He  turned 
his  back  and  walked  to  the  door,  returning  and 
standing  in  front  of  Hollis,  ominously  cool  and 
deliberate.  "So  that's  the  how  of  it? "  he  said 
evenly.  "  You've  come  out  here  looking  for 
fight.  Well,  you'll  get  it — plenty  of  it.  I  owe 
you  something " 

"  Wait,  Dunlavey,"  Hollis  interrupted,  with 
out  excitement ;  "  I  want  you  to  understand  that 
there  isn't  anything  personal  in  this.  I  am  going 
to  fight  you  because  you  are  a  member  of  the 
Cattlemen's  Association  and  not  because  you 
were  my  father's  enemy.  I  am  not  afraid  of 
you.  I  suspect  that  you  will  try  to  make  things 
decidedly  interesting  for  me  from  now  on  and  I 


suppose  I  ought  to  be  properly  troubled.  But  I 
am  not.  I  shall  not  be  surprised  at  anything  you 
do.  I  think  that  is  all.  Please  close  the  door 
when  you  go  out." 

He  turned  to  the  desk,  ignoring  Dunlavey. 
Sitting  there,  his  senses  alert,  he  heard  the  door 
slam.  From  beyond  it  came  a  curse.  Silence 
again  reigned  in  the  office ;  Hollis  was  alone  with 
the  dust  and  the  heat — and  some  very  original 
thoughts. 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE    "  KICKER  "    BECOMES    AN    INSTITUTION 

IT  was  mid-July — and  hot.  The  sun  shone 
continually;  the  nights  were  uncomfort 
able,  stifling.  The  dust  was  everywhere 
and  grew  deeper  and  lighter  as  the  days  passed. 
Water  grew  scarce;  cattle  suffered,  lowing 
throughout  the  night,  during  the  day  searching 
the  bogs  and  water  holes  for  drops  of  moisture. 
Men  looked  up  at  the  clear,  cloudless  sky  and 
prayed — and  cursed — for  rain.  The  rain  did  not 
come.  It  was  one  long,  continuous  nightmare  of 
heat. 

The  Kicker  had  appeared  four  times — on  Sat 
urdays — on  time.  Telegraphic  communication 
with  the  outside  world  had  been  established.  Pot 
ter  had  taken  up  his  residence  at  the  Circle  Bar. 
War  had  been  declared  between  the  Kicker  and 
the  Lazette  Eagle.  Hollis  had  written  an  argu 
mentative  essay  on  the  virtues  of  Dry  Bottom  as 
a  town,  dwelling  upon  its  superiority  over  Laz 
ette.  The  editor  of  the  Eagle  had  replied  with 
some  bitterness,  setting  forth  in  detail  why  Dry 
Bottom  did  not  compare  with  Lazette.  As  the 

107 


108     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

editor  of  the  Eagie  mentioned  population  and 
civic  spirit  in  his  bill  of  particulars  the  war  prom 
ised  to  be  of  long  duration — questions  of 
superiority  between  spirited  persons  are  never 
settled.  And  Hollis  had  succeeded  in  arousing 
the  spirit  of  Dry  Bottom's  citizens.  They  be 
gan  to  take  some  interest  in  the  Kicker.  Many 
subscribed ;  all  read  it. 

From  the  "  local "  columns  of  the  paper  one 
might  have  discovered  that  many  public  and  pri 
vate  improvements  were  contemplated.  Among 
these  the  following  items  were  of  the  greatest 
interest : 

Steps  are  being  taken  by  the  government  toward 
the  erection  of  a  fence  around  the  court  house  grounds. 
Judge  Graney  is  contemplating  a  lawn  and  flowers. 
When  these  improvements  are  competed  there  will  be 
no  comparison  between  our  court  house  and  the 
dilapidated  hovel  which  disgraces  the  county  seat  of 

Colfax.     The  Lazette  Eagle  please  notice. 

*  #  *  * 

William  Dunn,  the  proprietor  of  the  Alhambra  eat 
ing  house,  announces  that  in  the  near  future  he  will 
erect  a  new  sign.  Thereafter  the  Alhambra  will  be 
known  as  the  Alhambra  Restaurant.  This  is  a  step 
forward.  We  have  been  informed  that  there  is  no 

restaurant  in  Lazette.    Good  boy,  Dunn. 

*  *  *  * 

Chet  Miller's  general  merchandise  store  is  to  be  re 
painted  throughout.  Chet  is  public  spirited. 


"KICKER"    AN   INSTITUTION     109 

Everybody  of  any  importance  in  Dry  Bottom 
received  weekly  mention  of  some  sort  in  the 
Kicker.  Chet  Miller  was  heard  to  say  that  the 
Kicker  was  a  "  hummer,"  and  no  one  ascribed 
his  praise  of  the  paper  to  thanks  for  the  appear 
ance  of  his  name  therein,  for  all  who  would  have 
criticized  were  silenced  by  the  appearance  of  their 
own  names. 

In  the  fourth  issue  of  the  paper  appeared  sev 
eral  new  advertisements.  Judicious  personal 
mention  and  lively  news  locals  had  aroused  pub 
lic  spirit  to  a  point  where  it  ignored  thoughts  of 
Dunlavey's  displeasure. 

Upon  the  Saturday  which  had  marked  the  first 
issue  of  the  Kicker  under  Hollis's  ownership  he 
had  employed  a  circulation  manager.  That  af 
ternoon  on  the  street  near  the  Kicker  office  he 
had  almost  collided  with  a  red  haired  youth  of 
uncertain  age  who  had  bounded  out  through  the 
door  of  a  private  dwelling.  In  order  to  keep 
from  knocking  the  youth  over  Hollis  was  forced 
to  seize  him  by  the  arms  and  literally  lift  him  off 
his  feet.  While  in  the  air  the  youth's  face  was 
close  to  Hollis's  and  both  grinned  over  the  oc 
currence.  When  Hollis  set  the  youth  down  he 
stood  for  an  instant,  looking  up  into  Hollis's  face 
and  a  grin  of  amusement  overspread  his  own. 


"  Shucks!  "  he  said  slowly.  "  If  it  ain't  the 
tenderfoot  editor! " 

"  That's  just  who  it  is,"  returned  Hollis  with 
a  smile. 

The  youth  grinned  as  he  looked  critically  at 
Hollis.  '  You  gittin'  out  that  there  paper  to 
day,  mister? "  he  questioned. 

"  Right  now,"  returned  Hollis. 

"  Bully!  "  exclaimed  the  youth.  He  surveyed 
Hollis  with  a  frank  admiration.  "  They  said 
you  wouldn't  have  the  nerve  to  do  it,"  he  said; 
but,  say!  I  reckon  they  ain't  got  you  sized  up 
right!" 

Hollis  smiled,  remembering  that  though  the 
paper  had  been  printed  it  was  not  yet  distributed. 
He  placed  a  hand  on  the  youth's  shoulder. 

"  Have  you  got  nerve  enough  to  pass  the 
Kicker  around  to  the  people  of  this  town? "  he 
questioned. 

"  I  reckon,"  grinned  the  youth.  "  I  was  corn- 
in'  down  to  ast  you  for  the  job  when  you 
bumped  into  me.  I  used  to  peddle  them  for 
your  dad.  My  name's  Jiggs  Lenehan — mebbe 
you've  heard  of  me?  " 

Hollis  smiled.  "  The  question  of  delivering 
the  Kicker  was  one  of  the  details  that  I  over 
looked,"  he  said.  "  But  fortunately  it  is  ar 
ranged  now.  Henceforth,  Jiggs,  you  are  the 
Kicker's  official  circulation  manager.  Likewise, 


"KICKER"   AN  INSTITUTION    III 

if  you  care  to  add  to  your  income,  you  can  help 
Potter  around  the  office." 

So  it  had  been  arranged,  and  Jiggs  entered 
upon  his  duties  with  an  energy  that  left  little 
doubt  in  his  employer's  mind  that  he  would  prove 
a  valuable  addition  to  the  force. 

In  Hollis's  "  Salutatory  "  to  the  people  of 
Dry  Bottom  he  had  announced  in  a  quiet,  un 
ostentatious  paragraph  that  while  he  had  not 
come  to  Dry  Bottom  for  a  free  fight,  he  would 
permit  no  one  to  tread  on  his  toes.  His  readers' 
comprehension  of  the  metaphor  was  complete — 
as  was  evidenced  by  the  warm  hand-clasps  which 
he  received  from  citizens  who  were  not  in  sym 
pathy  with  the  Dunlavey  regime.  It  surprised 
him  to  find  how  many  such  there  were  in  town. 
He  was  convinced  that  all  this  element  needed 
was  a  leader  and  he  grimly  determined  to  step 
quietly  into  that  position  himself. 

The  second  issue  of  the  Kicker  was  marked  by 
a  more  aggressive  spirit — a  spirit  engendered  by 
the  sympathetic  reception  of  the  first  issue.  In 
it  he  stated  concisely  his  views  of  the  situation  in 
Union  County,  telling  his  readers  that  the  best 
interests  of  the  community  demanded  that  Dun- 
lavey's  evil  influence  be  wiped  out.  This  ar 
ticle  was  headed :  "  Dry  Bottom's  Future,"  and 
won  him  many  friends. 

The  third  issue  contained  stronger  language, 


112     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

and  the  fourth  was  energetically  aggressive.  As 
he  had  decided  before  the  first  appearance  of  the 
paper,  he  took  a  certain  number  of  copies  of  each 
issue,  folded  them  neatly,  stamped  and  addressed 
them,  and  mailed  them  to  a  number  of  news 
papers  throughout  the  country  whose  editors  he 
knew.  He  also  directed  copies  to  a  number  of 
his  friends  in  the  East — to  the  president  of  his 
college,  and  last,  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
at  Washington,  who  had  formerly  resided  near 
him  in  Boston,  and  with  whom  he  had  a  long  ac 
quaintance.  There  had  been  a  change  of  admin 
istration  the  fall  previous  and  he  was  certain  that 
the  new  administration  would  not  ignore  the  sit 
uation.  To  the  Secretary,  and  also  to  a  number 
of  his  friends,  he  wrote  personal  letters,  explain 
ing  in  detail  the  exact  condition  of  affairs  in 
Union  County. 

He  had  not  seen  Dunlavey  since  the  day  the 
latter  had  come  to  the  Kicker  office  to  negotiate 
for  the  purchase  of  the  paper.  On  several  of  his 
rides  to  and  from  the  Circle  Bar  ranch  he  had 
seen  signs  of  life  at  the  Circle  Cross;  once  or 
twice  he  thought  he  saw  someone  watching  him 
from  a  hill  on  the  Circle  Cross  side  of  the  Rabbit- 
Ear,  but  of  this  he  was  not  quite  certain,  for  the 
hill-top  was  thickly  wooded  and  the  distance 
great. 


He  had  been  warned  by  Norton  not  to  ride  too 
often  over  the  same  trail  lest  Dunlavey  send 
someone  to  ambush  him. 

Hollis  had  laughed  at  the  warning,  though 
thanking  Norton  for  it.  He  told  his  range  boss 
that  he  did  not  anticipate  any  immediate  trouble 
with  Dunlavey. 

".It  all  depends  on  how  Big  Bill  feels,"  re 
turned  Norton  with  a  grim  smile.  "  If  you've 
got  him  mad  there's  no  telling.  And  there  are 
plenty  of  places  between  here  and  Dry  Bottom 
where  a  man  might  be  shot  from  ambush.  And 
nobody'd  ever  know  who  done  it-  I  wouldn't 
ride  the  Dry  Bottom  trail  every  day.  There's 
the  old  Coyote  trail,  that  takes  you  past  the 
Razor-Back  and  through  Devil's  Hollow  to  Lit 
tle  Canyon  an'  along  the  hills  to  the  other  side." 

He  laughed.  "  There's  only  one  thing  you 
need  to  be  afraid  of  if  you  take  the  Coyote  trail, 
an'  that's  Ed  Hazelton.  Ed  gets  spells  when 
he's  plum  crazy.  He's  Nellie  Hazelton's  brother 
— her  that  Dunlavey  was  pesterin'  when  you 
slammed  him."  He  laughed  again,  significantly. 
"  Though  if  Ed  knowed  you  was  the  man  who 
took  his  sister's  part  you  wouldn't  need  to  be 
much  scared  of  him — I've  heard  that  he's  got  a 
pretty  good  memory  for  his  friends — even  when 
he's  off." 


114    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

Hollis  had  not  told  Norton  of  his  experience 
in  Devil's  Hollow,  nor  did  he  tell  him  now.  But 
he  followed  his  advice  about  taking  the  Coyote 
trail,  and  the  following  day  when  he  made  the 
trip  to  Dry  Bottom  he  returned  that  way. 
About  half  way  between  Dry  Bottom  and  the 
Circle  Bar  he  came  upon  a  little  adobe  cabin 
snuggling  an  arroyo  through  which  trickled  a 
small  stream  of  water. 

It  was  an  ideal  location  for  a  small  rancher, 
and  Hollis  observed  that  the  buildings  were  in 
order — evidently  Nellie  Hazelton  and  her 
brother  were  provident.  He  saw  some  cattle 
grazing  on  the  edge  of  a  small  grass  plateau 
which  began  at  the  slope  of  the  arroyo  through 
which  the  stream  of  water  ran.  A  shout  reached 
his  ears  as  he  sat  motionless  in  the  saddle  looking 
about  him,  and  he  saw  Ed  Hazelton  on  the 
plateau  among  the  cattle,  waving  a  hand  to  him. 
The  young  man  began  to  descend  the  side  of  the 
plateau,  but  before  he  had  fairly  started  Nellie 
Hazelton  had  come  out  of  the  front  door  of  the 
cabin  and  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  small  porch, 
smiling  at  him. 

"  So  you  did  come,  after  all? "  was  her  greet 
ing. 

Hollis  spurred  his  pony  closer  and  sat  smiling 
down  at  her-  "  I  don't  think  anything  could 


"KICKER"    AN  INSTITUTION     115 

have  stopped  me  after  your  invitation,"  he  re 
turned  quickly. 

"  Oh !  "  she  said.  The  sudden  color  that  came 
into  her  face  told  of  her  confusion.  It  betrayed 
the  fact  that  she  knew  he  had  come  because  of 
her.  Her  brother's  invitation  in  Devil's  Hollow 
had  been  merely  formal ;  there  had  been  another 
sort  of  invitation  in  her  eyes  as  she  and  her 
brother  had  left  him  that  day. 

'Won't  you  get  off  your  horse?"  she  said 
while  he  still  sat  motionless.  "  It's  quite  a  while 
before  sundown  and  you  have  plenty  of  time  to 
reach  the  Circle  Bar  before  dark." 

He  had  determined  to  discover  something  of 
the  mystery  that  surrounded  her  and  her  brother, 
and  so  he  was  off  his  pony  quickly  and  seating 
himself  in  a  chair  that  she  drew  out  of  the  cabin 
for  him.  By  the  time  her  brother  had  reached 
the  porch  Hollis  was  stretched  comfortably  out 
in  the  chair  and  was  answering  several  timid 
questions  concerning  his  opinion  of  the  country 
and  his  new  responsibilities. 

She  was  glad  he  liked  the  country,  she  said. 
It  was  wonderful.  In  the  five  years  they  had 
been  here  they  had  enjoyed  it  thoroughly — that 
was,  of  course,  barring  the  trouble  they  had  had 
with  Dunlavey. 

Of  their  trouble  with  Dunlavey  Hollis  would 


116     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

hear  much  later,  he  told  himself.  At  present  he 
was  more  interested  in  discovering  something 
about  her  and  her  brother,  though  he  did  not 
wish  to  appear  inquisitive.  Therefore  his  voice 
was  politely  casual. 

"  Then  you  are  not  a  Westerner?  "  he  said. 

She  smiled  mournfully.  "  No,"  she  returned ; 
"  we — Ed  and  I — were  raised  in  Illinois,  near 
Springfield.  We  came  out  here  five  years  ago 
after — after  mother  died."  Her  voice  caught. 
"  Sometimes  it  seems  terribly  lonesome  out  here," 
she  added ;  "  when  I  get  to  thinking  of — of  our 
other  home.  But  " — she  smiled  bravely  through 
the  sudden  moisture  that  had  come  into  her  eyes 
— "  since  Ed  got  hurt  I  don't  have  much  time  to 
think  of  myself.  Poor  fellow." 

Hollis  was  silent.  He  had  never  had  a  sister 
but  he  could  imagine  how  she  must  feel  over  the 
misfortune  that  had  come  to  her  brother.  It 
must  be  a  sacrifice  for  her  to  remain  in  this  coun 
try,  to  care  for  a  brother  who  must  be  a  great 
burden  to  her  at  times,  to  fight  the  solitude,  the 
hardships,  to  bear  with  patience  the  many  in 
conveniences  which  are  inevitable  in  a  new,  un 
settled  country.  He  felt  a  new  admiration  for 
her  and  a  profound  sympathy. 

"  I  think  that  you  must  be  a  very  brave  young 
woman,"  he  said  earnestly. 


"KICKER"   AN  INSTITUTION     117 

"  Oh !  "  she  returned  with  a  sudden,  illuminat 
ing  smile.  "  It  isn't  hard  to  be  brave.  But  at 
times  I  find  it  hard  to  be  patient." 

"  Patience  is  one  of  the  cardinal  virtues,"  de 
clared  Hollis,  "  but  it  takes  bravery  of  a  rare 
sort  to  remain  in  this  country,  surrounded  with 
the  care " 

Her  fingers  were  suddenly  over  her  lips  warn- 
ingly,  and  he  saw  Ed  Hazelton  nearing  the  porch. 

"  I  wouldn't  have  him  know  for  the  world," 
she  said  rapidly.  "  It  isn't  a  care  to  look  after 
someone  you  love." 

Hollis  smiled  grimly  at  the  reproach  in  her 
voice  and  rose  to  greet  her  brother. 

The  latter  seemed  to  be  quite  recovered  from 
the  attack  he  had  suffered  in  Devil's  Hollow  and 
talked  freely  and  intelligently  of  affairs  in  the 
country.  Hollis  found  that  on  the  whole  he  was 
a  well  informed  young  man — quiet,  modest,  and 
apparently  well  able  to  give  a  good  account  of 
himself  in  spite  of  his  affliction.  He  was  bitter 
against  Dunlavey  .and  thanked  Hollis  warmly 
for  his  defense  of  his  sister. 

At  sundown  Hollis  departed,  telling  the 
Hazeltons  that  since  he  was  their  neighbor  he 
would  not  neglect  to  see  them  occasionally.  As 
he  rode  away  into  the  dusk  Nellie  Hazelton  stood 
on  the  porch  smilingly  waving  her  hand  at  him. 


118    THE   COMING   Oft   THE  LAW. 

As  he  threaded  his  way  through  the  rapidly  grow 
ing  darkness  he  felt  an  unaccountable  satisfaction 
over  the  fact  that  he  had  elected  to  remain  in 
Union  County ;  that  henceforth  his  fortunes  were 
to  be  linked  with  those  of  a  brave  young  woman 
who  had  also  accepted  the  robes  of  sacrifice  and 
who  was  committed  to  war  against  their  common 
enemy — Dunlavey.  Curiously,  during  the  past 
few  days  he  had  felt  a  decided  change  in  his  atti 
tude  toward  life.  His  old  ambition  was  no 
longer  uppermost  in  his  mind — it  had  been 
crowded  out  of  his  existence.  In  its  place  had 
been  erected  a  new  pinnacle  of  promise.  A  seat 
among  the  mighty  was  a  worthy  goal.  Yet  the 
lowly  bench  of  sacrifice  was  not  without  its  com 
pensations. 


CHAPTER   VIII 


CONCERNING  THE  "  SIX-O'CLOCK  " 


ON  Friday  evening  previous  to  the  Saturday 
on  which  the  Kicker  was  to  be  issued  for 
the  fifth  consecutive  time  by  Hollis,  Potter 
did  not  ride  out  to  the  Circle  Bar.     There  still 
remained  some  type  to  be  set  and  Potter  had 
declared  his  intention  of  completing  the  work  and 
staying    overnight    in    town.     Hollis    had    ac 
quiesced  and  had  departed  for  the  Circle  Bar 
alone. 

When  he  reached  Dry  Bottom  the  following 
morning  he  found  a  small  crowd  of  people  in 
front  of  the  Kicker  office.  During  the  night 
some  one  had  posted  a  written  notice  on  the 
front  door,  and  when  Hollis  dismounted  from  his 
pony  there  were  perhaps  a  dozen  interested  citi 
zens  grouped  about  the  door,  reading  the  notice. 
There  were  several  of  the  town's  merchants  and  a 
number  of  cowboys — new  arrivals  and  those  who 
had  remained  overnight  to  gamble  and  partici 
pate  in  the  festivities  that  were  all-night  features 
of  the  dives.  There  were  also  the  usual  loafers, 

119 


120    THE  COMING  O&  THE  LAW 

who  constitute  an  element  never  absent  in  any 
group  of  idlers  in  any  street.  All,  however, 
gave  way  before  Hollis  and  allowed  him  to  reach 
the  door  without  molestation,  though  in  passing 
he  observed  significant  grins  on  several  faces. 

The   notice   was   written  in  a  bold,   legible 
hand. 


"Mr.  Hollis:" — it  read,  the  prefix  under 
scored — "  The  express  leaves  town  this  after 
noon  at  six  o'clock — goin  east.  Better  be  on 
it." 

Signed—"  Y.  Z." 

Hollis  read  the  notice  and  then  turned  and 
quietly  surveyed  his  watchful,  interested  audi 
ence.  He  smiled  grimly,  seeing  several  faces 
which,  though  plainly  expressing  amusement, 
seemed  quietly  sympathetic.  He  felt  that  these 
were  wishing  him  success,  though  doubting  his 
ability  to  cope  with  his  enemies.  Other  faces 
were  plainly  antagonistic  in  expression.  He 
looked  at  both  for  an  instant  and  then  turned 
again  to  the  notice  and  producing  a  pencil 
printed  boldly  on  its  face  the  slogan  he  had 
Revised; 


CONCERNING  "SIX-O'CLOCK"    121 

"  We  Herald  the  Coming  of  the  Law!,  The 
Kicker  is  Here  to  Stay!" 

And  below  he  indulged  in  this  sarcasm:  "Don't 
hold  the  express  on  my  account! " 

Signed — "  KENT  HOLLIS." 

Leaving  his  audience  to  stare  after  him  Hollis 
pushed  open  the  door  of  the  office  and  entered. 

He  found  Potter  bending  over  the  imposing 
table,  hard  at  work  on  one  of  the  forms.  Three 
other  forms,  locked  and  ready  for  the  press, 
stood  in  a  corner.  Potter  looked  up  and  smiled 
as  his  chief  entered. 

"  See  the  notice  on  the  door?  "  he  inquired. 

"  Some  of  Dunlavey's  work,  I  suppose,"  re 
turned  Hollis. 

"  Well,  yes.  I  suppose  Bunlavey  is  back  of 
it.  But  Yuma  tacked  the  sign  up."  He 
smiled  soberly  as  Hollis  flashed  a  grin  at  him. 
"  They  tried  hard  last  night  to  get  me  to  drink. 
Of  course  their  purpose  was  to  get  me  drunk  so 
that  I  wouldn't  be  able  to  get  the  paper  out  to 
day.  I  am  not  going  to  tell  you  how  hard  I  had 
to  fight  myself  to  resist  the  temptation  to  drink. 
But  you  can  see  for  yourself  that  I  succeeded. 
The  Kicker  will  be  ready  to  go  to  press  in  an 
hour." 

He  felt  Hollis's  hand  patting  his  shoulder 


122    THE   COMING   OF   THE  EAW 

approvingly  and  he  continued,  a  little  hoarsely. 
"  I  took  one  drink  at  the  Fashion  last  night  after 
I  got  through  here.  Then  I  came  back  and 
went  to  sleep.  I  am  a  light  sleeper  and  when 
some  time  after  midnight  I  heard  a  sound  at  the 
door  I  got  up  and  peered  out  of  the  window.  I 
saw  Yuma  tacking  up  the  notice.  I  suppose 
Dunlavey  wrote  it."  He  looked  at  Hollis  with 
a  whimsical  expression.  "  I  suppose  you  are 
going  to  take  the  express?  "  he  inquired. 

"  Tried  to  get  you  drunk,  did  they? "  shaking 
his  head  negatively  to  Potter's  question,  a  smile 
on  his  face.  "  I  can't  understand  that  game," 
he  continued,  soberly.  "  Of  course  getting  you 
drunk  would  have  prevented  the  appearance  of 
the  paper  on  scheduled  time.  But  if  they 
wanted  to  do  serious  damage — of  course  I  mean 
to  the  paper,"  he  apologized  with  a  grim  smile, 
"  why  didn't  they  come  down  here — some  of 
them — during  your  absence,  and  smash  things 
up?  That  would  have  made  the  thing  sure  for 
them." 

Potter  laughed  mirthlessly.  "Of  course  they 
could  have  done  that,"  he  said ;  "  it  would  have 
been  easy — will  be  easy  any  time.  But  it 
wouldn't  be  artistic,  would  be  coarse  in  fact. 
Dunlavey  doesn't  do  things  that  way.  If  they 
smash  your  stuff,  destroy  your  plant  here,  ruin 


CONCERNING  "SIX-O'CLOCK"     123 

your  type  and  press,  and  so  forth,  they  invite 
sympathy  in  your  behalf.  But  if  they  prevent 
the  appearance  of  your  paper  without  having 
done  any  damage  to  your  plant  they  accomplish 
something — they  expose  you  to  ridicule.  And 
in  this  country  ridicule  is  a  potent  weapon — 
even  if  it  involves  nothing  more  serious  than  a 
drunken  printer." 

Hollis  shook  Potter's  hand  in  silence.  He 
had  expected  violence  from  Dunlavey;  long  be 
fore  this  he  had  expected  him  to  show  his  hand, 
to  attempt  some  covert  and  damaging  action. 
And  he  had  been  prepared  to  fight  to  get  the 
Kicker  out.  He  had  not  expected  subtlety 
from  Dunlavey. 

He  went  to  his  desk  and  sat  in  the  chair,  look 
ing  out  through  the  window  at  the  crowd  that 
still  lingered  in  front  of  the  office.  Most  of  the 
faces  wore  grins.  Plainly  they  were  amused, 
but  Hollis  saw  that  the  amusement  was  of  a 
grim  sort.  They  appreciated  the  situation  and 
enjoyed  its  humor  but  felt  the  tragedy  behind  it- 
Probably  most  of  them  were  acquainted  with 
Dunlavey's  methods;  some  of  them  probably 
knew  of  the  attempt  that  had  been  made  to  inca 
pacitate  Potter.  Certainly  those  of  them  that 
did  know  had  seen  the  failure  of  the  attempt  and 
were  now  speculating  upon  Dunlavey's  next 


124.     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

move.  Looking  out  of  the  window  Hollis  felt 
that  some  of  his  audience  must  be  wondering 
whether  the  editor  of  the  Kicker  would  pay  any 
attention  to  the  notice  on  the  door.  Would  he 
scare? 

Hollis  had  already  decided  that  he  would  not 
"  scare."  He  grinned  at  several  of  the  men  who 
watched  him  and  then  turned  and  instructed  Pot 
ter  to  take  down  a  column  of  type  on  the  first 
page  of  the  paper  to  make  room  for  an  article 
that  he  intended  to  write.  Then  he  seized  a 
pen  and  wrote  a  red  hot  defiance  directed  at  the 
authors  of  the  notice,  which  Potter  set  up  under 
the  heading: 

"  Why  the  Editor  of  the  Kicker  Won't  Take 
the  Express." 

In  clear,  terse  language  he  told  his  audience 
his  reasons.  This  was  America;  he  was  an 
American,  and  he  didn't  purpose  to  allow  the 
Cattlemen's  Association — or  any  other  associa 
tion,  gang,  or  individual — to  dictate  the  policy 
of  his  paper  or  influence  his  private  actions. 
Least  of  all  did  he  purpose  to  allow  anyone  to 
"  run  him  out  of  town."  He  printed  the  notice 
entire,  adding  his  answer,  assuring  readers  that 
he  was  sending  copies  of  the  Kicker  to  every 
newspaper  in  the  East  and  that  notices  such  as 
had  been  affixed  to  his  door  would  react  against 
the  authors.  He  ended  with  the  prophecy  that 


CONCERNING  "SIX-O'CLOCK"     125 

the  law  would  come  into  Union  County  and  that 
meanwhile  the  Kicker  purposed  to  fight. 

At  noon  Hollis  took  the  usual  number  of 
copies  to  the  station  and  mailed  them.  Walk 
ing  down  the  street  on  his  return  from  the  sta 
tion  he  attracted  much  attention.  Men  stood  in 
the  open  doorways  of  saloons  watching  him,  a 
number  openly  jeered;  others  sent  subtle  jibes 
after  him.  Still  others  were  silent,  their  faces 
expressing  amusement. 

But  he  looked  at  none  of  them.  He  swung 
along  the  board  walk,  his  face  a  little  pale,  his 
lips  tightly  closed,  determined  to  pay  no  atten 
tion  to  the  jeers  that  reached  his  ears. 

When  he  passed  the  Fashion  there  were  a  num 
ber  of  men  draped  along  its  front;  and  he  was 
conscious  of  many  grins.  Passing  the  men  he 
heard  low  laughter  and  profane  reference  which 
caused  his  cheeks  to  redden.  But  he  walked 
steadily  on.  Near  the  Kicker  office  he  met  Jiggs 
Lenehan.  Followed  by  the  youth  he  reached 
the  office  to  find  that  Potter  had  completed  the 
press  work  and  that  several  hundred  copies  of 
the  paper,  the  ink  still  moist  on  its  pages,  were 
stacked  in  orderly  array  on  the  imposing  stone. 
In  a  very  brief  time  Jiggs  burst  out  of  the  office 
door,  a  bundle  of  papers  under  his  arm,  and  be 
gan  the  work  of  distribution.  Standing  back 
from  the  window  with  Potter,  Hollis  watched 


126     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

Jiggs  until  the  latter  reached  the  crowd  in  front 
of  the  Fashion  saloon.  Then  all  that  Hollis 
could  see  of  him  was  his  red  head.  But  that 
trade  was  brisk  was  proved  by  the  press  around 
Jiggs — the  youth  was  passing  out  papers  at  a 
rapid  rate  and  soon  nearly  every  man  in  the 
crowd  about  the  Fashion  was  engaged  in  read 
ing,  or, — if  this  important  feature  of  his  educa 
tion  had  been  neglected — in  questioning  his 
neighbor  concerning  the  things  that  appeared  in 
the  paper. 

Presently  Jigg's  customers  in  front  of  the 
Fashion  were  all  supplied.  Then  other  pur 
chasers  appeared.  Soon  the  Kicker  was  being 
read  by — it  seemed — nearly  every  grown  person 
in  Dry  Bottom.  Business  was  suspended. 
Down  the  street  men  were  congregated  about  the 
doors  of  many  of  the  stores ;  others  were  sitting 
in  doorways,  still  others  leaned  against  buildings ; 
some,  not  taking  time  to  search  for  support,  read 
while  walking,  or  stood  motionless  on  the  board 
sidewalks,  satisfying  their  curiosity. 

Hollis  watched  through  the  window  until  he 
began  to  be  certain  that  every  person  in  town  was 
supplied  with  a  paper.  Then  with  a  grim  smile 
he  left  the  window  and  sought  his  chair  beside 
the  desk.  He  was  satisfied.  Dunlavey  had 
made  the  first  aggressive  movement  and  the  fight 
was  on. 


CHAPTER   IX 

HOW  A  BAD  MAN  LEFT  THE  "  KICKER  "  OFFICE 

IT  was  about  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
when  the  Kicker  appeared  on  Dry  Bottom's 
street.    At  about  five  minutes  after  one, 
Potter  left  the  front  of  the  office  and  walked  to 
the  rear  room  where  he  halted  at  the  imposing 
stone.     There  he  proceeded  to  "  take  down  "  the 
four  forms.     This  done  he  calmly  began  distri 
buting  type. 

While  Potter  worked  Hollis  sat  very  quietly  at 
his  desk  in  the  front  office,  his  arms  folded,  one 
hand  supporting  his  chin,  his  lips  forming 
straight  lines,  his  eyes  narrowed  with  a  medita 
tive  expression.  Occasionally  Potter  glanced 
furtively  at  him,  his  eyes  filled  with  mingled  ex 
pressions  of  sympathy,  admiration,  and  concern. 
Potter  appreciated  his  chief's  position.  It 
meant  something  for  a  man  of  Hollis's  years  and 
training  to  bury  himself  in  this  desolate  sink-hole 
of  iniquity;  to  elect  to  carry  on  an  unequal  war 
with  interests  that  controlled  the  law  machinery 
of  the  county  and  Territory — whose  power  ex 
tended  to  Washington.  No  doubt  the  young 

127 


128    THE   COMING  OF  THE  LAW 

man  was  even  now  brooding  over  the  future, 
planning  his  fight,  pessimistically  considering  his 
chances  of  success.  Potter's  sympathy  grew. 
He  thought  of  approaching  his  chief  with  a  word 
of  encouragement.  But  while  he  hesitated, 
mentally  debating  the  propriety  of  such  an  ac 
tion,  Hollis  turned  quickly  and  looked  fairly  at 
him,  his  forehead  perplexed. 

"  Potter,"  he  remarked,  "  I  suppose  there  isn't 
a  good  brain  specialist  in  this  section  of  the  coun- 
try?" 

"Why— why "  began  Potter.  Then  he 

stopped  and  looked  at  his  chief  in  wordless  as 
tonishment.  His  sympathy  had  been  wasted. 

"  No,"  laughed  Hollis,  divining  the  cause  of 
the  compositor's  astonishment,  "  personally  I 
have  no  use  for  a  brain  specialist.  I  was  think 
ing  of  some  other  person." 

"Not  me?"  grinned  Potter  from  behind  his 
type  case.  He  flushed  a  little  at  the  thought  of 
how  near  he  had  come  to  offering  encouragement 
to  a  man  who  had  not  been  in  need  of  it,  who,  evi 
dently,  had  not  been  thinking  of  the  big  fight  at 
all.  "  Perhaps  I  need  one,"  he  added,  eyeing 
Hollis  whimsically;  "a  moment  ago  I  thought 
you  were  in  the  dumps  on  account  of  the  situa 
tion  here — you  seemed  rather  disturbed.  It  sur 
prised  me  considerably  to  find  that  you  had  not 
been  thinking  of  Dunlavey  at  all." 


THE   "KICKER"   OFFICE       129 

"  No,"  admitted  Hollis  gravely,  "  I  was  not 
thinking  of  Dunlavey.  I  was  wondering  if  some 
thing  couldn't  be  done  for  Ed  Hazelton." 

"  Something  ought  to  be  done  for  him,"  de 
clared  Potter  earnestly.  "  I  have  watched  that 
young  man  closely  and  I  am  convinced  that  with 
proper  care  and  treatment  he  would  recover 
fully.  But  I  never  heard  of  a  specialist  in  this 
section — none,  in  fact,  nearer  than  Chicago. 
And  I've  forgotten  his  name." 

"  It  is  Hammond,"  supplied  Hollis.  "  I've 
been  thinking  of  him.  I  knew  his  son  in  college. 
I  am  going  to  write  to  him." 

He  turned  to  his  desk  and  took  up  a  pen,  while 
Potter  resumed  his  work  of  distributing  type. 

About  half  an  hour  later  Jiggs  Lenehan 
strolled  into  the  office  wearing  a  huge  grin  on  his 
face.  "  'Pears  like  everybody  in  town  wants  to 
read  the  Kicker  to-day,"  he  said  with  a  joyous 
cackle.  "  Never  had  so  much  fun  sellin'  them. 
Gimme  some  more,"  he  added  breathlessly; 
"  they's  a  gang  down  to  the  station  howlin'  for 
them.  Say,"  he  yelled  at  Hollis  as  he  went 
out  of  the  door  with  a  big  bundle  of  Kickers  un 
der  his  arm,  "  you're  cert'nly  some  editor  man!  " 
He  grinned  admiringly  and  widely  as  he  disap 
peared. 

Hollis  finished  his  letter  to  Hammond  and 
then  leaned  back  in  his  chair.  For  half  an  hour 


130    THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

he  sat  there,  looking  gravely  out  into  the  street 
and  then,  answering  a  sudden  impulse,  he  rose 
and  strode  to  the  door. 

"  Going  down  to  the  court  house,"  he  informed 
Potter. 

He  found  Judge  Graney  in  his  room,  seated 
at  the  big  table,  a  copy  of  the  Kicker  spread  out 
in  front  of  him.  At  his  appearance  the  Judge 
pushed  back  his  chair  and  regarded  him  with  an 
approving  smile. 

"  Well,  Hollis,"  he  said,  "  I  see  Dunlavey  has 
played  the  first  card." 

"  He  hasn't  taken  the  first  trick,"  was  the 
young  man's  quick  reply. 

"  Fortunately  not,"  laughed  the  judge.  He 
placed  a  finger  on  a  column  in  the  Kicker. 
i(  This  article  about  the  Cattlemen's  Association 
is  a  hummer — if  I  may  be  allowed  the  phrase. 
A  straight,  manly  citation  of  the  facts.  It 
ought  to  win  friends  for  you." 

"  I've  merely  stated  the  truth,"  returned  Hol 
lis,  "  and  if  the  article  seems  good  it  is  merely 
because  it  defends  a  principle  whose  virtue  is  per 
fectly  obvious." 

"  But  only  a  man  who  felt  strongly  could  have 
written  it,"  suggested  the  Judge. 

"  Perhaps.  I  admit  feeling  a  deep  interest  in 
the  question  of  cattle." 


THE   "KICKER"    OFFICE       131 

"  Your  ambition?  "  slyly  insinuated  the  Judge. 

"  Is  temporarily  in  abeyance — perhaps  per 
manently." 

:'  Then  your  original  decision  about  remain 
ing  here  has  been — well,  strengthened  ?  " 

Hollis  nodded.  The  Judge  grinned  mysteri 
ously.  "  There  is  an  article  on  the  first  page  of 
the  Kicker  which  interested  me  greatly,"  he  said. 
"  It  concerns  the  six  o'clock  train — going  east. 
Do  you  happen  to  know  whether  the  editor  of 
the  Kicker  is  going  to  use  the  express?  " 

Hollis  smiled  appreciatively.  '  The  editor 
of  the  Kicker  is  going  to  use  the  express,"  he  ad 
mitted,  "  though  not  in  the  manner  some  people 
are  wishing.  The  usual  number  of  copies  of  the 
Kicker  are  going  to  ride  on  the  express,  as  are 
also  some  very  forceful  letters  to  the  President 
of  the  United  States  and  the  Secretary  of  the  In 
terior." 

"Good!"  said  the  Judge.  He  looked  criti 
cally  at  Hollis.  "  I  know  that  you  are  going  to 
remain  in  Dry  Bottom,"  he  said  slowly;  "  I  have 
never  doubted  your  courage.  But  I  want  to 
warn  you  to  be  careful.  Don't  make  the  mis 
take  of  thinking  that  the  notice  which  you  found 
on  the  door  of  the  Kicker  office  this  morning  is  a 
joke.  They  don't  joke  like  that  out  here.  Of 
course  I  know  that  you  are  not  afraid  and  that 


132     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

you  won't  run.  But  be  careful — there  are  men 
out  here  who  would  snuff  out  a  human  life  as 
quickly  as  they  would  the  flame  of  a  candle,  and 
with  as  little  fear  of  the  consequences.  I 
shouldn't  like  to  hear  of  you  using  your  revolver, 
but  if  you  do  have  occasion  to  use  it,  use  it  fast 
and  make  a  good  job  of  it." 

"  I  don't  like  to  use  a  gun,"  returned  Hollis 
gravely,  "  but  all  the  same  I  shall  bear  your  ad 
vice  in  mind."  An  expression  of  slight  disgust 
swept  over  his  face.  "  I  don't  see  why  men  out 
here  don't  exhibit  a  little  more  courage,"  he  said. 
"  They  all '  pack  '  a  gun,  as  Norton  says,  and  all 
are  apparently  yearning  to  use  one.  I  don't  see 
what  satisfaction  there  could  be  in  shooting  a 
man  with  whom  you  have  had  trouble ;  it  strikes 
me  as  being  a  trifle  cowardly."  He  laughed 
grimly.  "  For  my  part,"  he  added,  "  I  can  get 
more  satisfaction  out  of  slugging  a  man.  Per 
haps  it  isn't  so  artistic  as  shooting,  but  you  have 
the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  your  antagonist 
realizes  and  appreciates  his  punishment." 

Judge  Graney's  gaze  rested  on  the  muscular 
frame  of  the  young  man-  "  I  suppose  if  all  men 
were  built  like  you  there  would  be  less  shooting 
done.  But  unfortunately  nature  has  seen  fit  to 
use  different  molds  in  making  her  men.  Not 
every  man  has  the  strength  or  science  to  use  his 
fists,  nor  the  courage.  But  there  is  one  thing 


THE   "KICKER"   OFFICE       133 

that  you  will  do  well  to  remember.  When  you 
slug  a  man  who  carries  a  gun  you  only  beat  him 
temporarily ;  usually  he  will  wait  his  chance  and 
use  his  gun  when  you  least  expect  him." 

"  I  suppose  you  refer  to  Yuma  Ed  and  Dun- 
lavey?"  suggested  Hollis. 

"  Well,  no,  not  Dunlavey.  I  have  never 
heard  of  Dunlavey  shooting  anybody ;  he  plays  a 
finer  game.  But  Yuma  Ed,  Greasy,  Ten  Spot, 
and  some  more  who  belong  to  the  Dunlavey 
crowd  are  professional  gun-men  and  do  not  hesi 
tate  to  shoot.  The  chances  are  that  Dunlavey 
will  try  to  square  accounts  with  you  in  some  other 
manner,  but  I  would  be  careful  of  Yuma — a 
blow  in  the  face  never  sets  well  on  a  man  of  that 
character." 

An  hour  later,  when  Hollis  sat  at  his  desk  in 
the  Kicker  office,  Judge  Graney's  words  were  re 
called  to  him.  He  was  thinking  of  his  conversa 
tion  with  the  Judge  when  Jiggs  Lenehan  burst 
into  the  office,  breathless,  his  face  pale  and  his 
eyes  swimming  with  news.  He  was  trembling 
with  excitement. 

"  Ten  Spot  is  comin'  down  here  to  put  you  out 
of  business  1 "  he  blurted  out  when  he  could  get 
his  breath.  "  I  was  in  the  Fashion  an'  I  heard 
him  an'  Yuma  talkin'  about  you.  Ten  Spot  is 
comin'  here  at  six  o'clock !  " 

Hollis  turned  slowly  in  his  chair  and  faced  the 


134.    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

boy.  His  cheeks  whitened  a  little.  Judge 
Graney  had  been  right.  Hollis  had  rather  ex 
pected  at  some  time  or  other  he  would  have  to 
have  it  out  with  Yuma,  but  he  had  expected  he 
would  have  to  deal  with  Yuma  himself.  He 
smiled  a  little  grimly.  It  made  very  little  dif 
ference  whether  he  fought  Yuma  or  some  other 
man;  when  he  had  elected  to  remain  in  Dry  Bot 
tom  he  had  realized  that  he  must  fight  some 
body — everybody  in  the  Dunlavey  crew.  He 
looked  at  his  watch  and  saw  that  the  hands 
pointed  to  four.  Therefore  he  had  two  hours  to 
prepare  for  Ten  Spot's  coming.  He  smiled  at 
the  boy,  looked  back  into  the  composing  room 
and  saw  that  Potter  had  ceased  his  labors  and 
was  leaning  on  a  type  case,  watching  him  soberly. 
He  grinned  broadly  at  Potter  and  turned  to 
Jiggs. 

"  How  many  Kickers  did  you  sell?  " 
:<  Two  hundred  an'  ten,"  returned  the  latter; 
"  everybody  bought  them."  He  took  a  step  for 
ward;  his  hands  clenching  with  the  excitement 
that  still  possessed  him.  "  I  told  you  Ten  Spot 
was  comin'  down  here  to  kill  you!  "he  said 
hoarsely  and  insistently.  "Didn't  you  hear 
me?"  ' 

"  I  heard  you,"  smiled  Hollis,  "  and  I  under 
stand  perfectly.    But  I  don't  think  we  need  to 


get  excited  over  it.  Just  how  much  money  did 
you  receive  for  the  two  hundred  and  ten  pa 
pers?" 

"  Six  dollars  an'  two  bits,"  responded  the  boy, 
regarding  Hollis  wonderingly. 

"  It  is  yours,"  Hollis  informed  him ;  "  there 
was  to  be  no  charge  for  the  Kicker  to-day." 

The  boy  grinned  with  pleasure.  "  Don't  you 
want  none  of  it?  "  he  inquired. 

"  It  is  yours,"  repeated  Hollis.  He  reached 
out  and  grasped  the  boy  by  the  arm,  drawing  him 
close.  "  Now  tell  me  what  you  heard  at  the 
Fashion,"  he  said. 

Rapidly,  but  with  rather  less  excitement  in  his 
manner  than  he  had  exhibited  on  his  entrance, 
the  boy  related  in  detail  the  conversation  he  had 
overheard  at  the  Fashion.  When  he  had  fin 
ished  Hollis  patted  him  approvingly  on  the  back. 

"  The  official  circulation  manager  of  the 
Kicker  has  made  good,"  he  said  with  a  smile- 
"  Now  go  home  and  take  a  good  rest  and  be 
ready  to  deliver  the  Kicker  next  Saturday." 

The  boy  backed  away  and  stood  looking  at 
Hollis  in  surprise.  "  Why!  "  he  said  in  an  awed 
voice,  "  you  ain't  none  scared  a-tall ! " 

"  I  certainly  am  scared,"  laughed  Hollis ; 
"  scared  that  Ten  Spot  will  change  his  mind  be 
fore  six  o'clock.  Do  you  think  he  will? " 


136    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

"  No !  "  emphatically  declared  the  boy.  "  I 
don't  reckon  that  Ten  Spot  will  change  his  mind 
a-tall.  He'll  sure  come  down  here  to  shoot 
you!" 

"  That  relieves  me,"  returned  Hollis  dryly. 
"  Now  you  go  home.  "  But,"  he  warned,  "  don't 
tell  anyone  that  I  am  scared." 

For  an  instant  the  boy  looked  at  Hollis  criti 
cally,  searching  his  face  with  all  a  boy's  unerring 
judgment  for  signs  which  would  tell  of  insin 
cerity.  Seeing  none,  he  deliberately  stretched  a 
hand  out  to  Hollis,  his  lips  wreathing  into  an  ap 
proving  grin. 

"  Durned  if  you  ain't  the  stuff! "  he  declared. 
"  I'm  just  bettin'  that  Ten  Spot  ain't  scarin'  you 
none !  " ,  Then  he  backed  out  of  the  door  and, 
still  grinning,  disappeared. 

After  Jiggs  had  gone  Hollis  turned  and 
smiled  at  Potter.  "  I  suppose  you  know  this 
man  Ten  Spot,"  he  said.  "  WiU  he  come?  " 

"  He  will  come,"  returned  Potter.  His  face 
was  pale  and  his  lips  quivered  a  little  as  he  con 
tinued:  :t  Ten  Spot  is  the  worst  of  Dunlavey's 
set,"  he  said ;  "  a  dangerous,  reckless  taker  of  hu 
man  life.  He  is  quick  on  the  trigger  and  a  dead 
shot.  He  is  called  Ten  Spot  because  of  the  fact 
that  once,  with  a  gun  in  each  hand,  he  shot  all  the 
spots  from  a  ten  of  hearts  at  ten  paces." 


THE   "KICKER"   OFFICE      137 

Hollis  sat  silent,  thoughtfully  stroking  his 
chin.  Potter  smiled  admiringly. 

"  I  know  that  you  don't  like  to  run,"  he  said; 
"you  aren't  that  kind.  But  you  haven't  a 
chance  with  Ten  Spot — unfortunately  you 
haven't  had  much  experience  with  a  six-shooter." 
Potter's  hands  shook  as  he  tried  to  resume  work 
at  the  type  case.  "  I  didn't  think  they  would 
have  nerve  enough  for  that  game,"  he  added, 
advancing  again  toward  Hollis.  "  I  rather 
thought  they  would  try  some  other  plan — some 
thing  not  quite  so  raw.  But  it  seems  they  have 
nerve  enough  for  anything.  Hollis  "  he  con 
cluded  dejectedly,  "  you've  got  to  get  out  of 
town  before  six  o'clock  or  Ten  Spot  will  kill 
you! 

"  You've  got  plenty  of  time,"  he  resumed  as 
Hollis  kept  silent ;  "  it's  only  a  little  after  four. 
You  can  get  on  your  horse  and  be  almost  at  the 
Circle  Bar  at  six.  No  one  can  blame  you  for 
not  staying — everybody  knows  that  you  can't 
handle  a  gun  fast  enough  to  match  Ten  Spot. 
Maybe  if  you  do  light  out  and  don't  show  up  in 
town  for  a  week  or  so  this  thing  will  blow  over." 

"  Thank  you  very  much  for  that  advice,  Pot 
ter,"  said  Hollis  slowly.  "  I  appreciate  the  fact 
that  you  are  thinking  of  my  safety.  But  of 
course  there  is  another  side  to  the  situation.  You 


138    THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

of  course  realize  that  if  I  run  now  I  am  through 
here — no  one  would  ever  take  me  seriously  after 
it  had  been  discovered  that  I  had  been  run  out 
of  town  by  Ten  Spot." 

"  That's  a  fact,"  admitted  Potter.  "  But  of 
course " 

"  I  think  that  is  settled,"  interrupted  Hollis. 
'  You  can't  change  the  situation  by  argument. 
I've  got  to  face  it  and  face  it  alone.  I've  got  to 
stay  here  until  Ten  Spot  comes.  If  I  can't 
beat  him  at  his  game  he  wins  and  you  can  tele 
graph  East  to  my  people."  He  rose  and  walked 
to  the  window,  his  back  to  the  printer. 

*  You  can  knock  off  for  to-day,  Potter. 
Jump  right  on  your  pony  and  get  out  to  Circle 
Bar.  I  wouldn't  say  anything  to  Norton  or  any 
one  until  after  nine  to-night  and  then  if  I  don't 
show  up  at  the  ranch  you  will  know  that  Ten 
Spot  has  got  me." 

He  stood  at  the  window  while  Potter  slowly 
drew  off  his  apron,  carefully  folded  it  and  tucked 
it  into  a  corner.  He  moved  very  deliberately, 
as  though  reluctant  to  leave  his  chief.  Had 
Hollis  shown  the  slightest  sign  of  weakening 
Potter  would  have  stayed.  But  watching  closely 
he  saw  no  sign  of  weakness  in  the  impassive  face 
of  his  chief,  and  so,  after  he  had  made  his  pre 
parations  for  departure,  he  drew  a  deep  breath 


THE   "KICKER"    OFFICE       139 

of  resignation  and  walked  slowly  to  the  back 
door,  where  his  pony  was  hitched.  He  halted  at 
the  threshold,  looking  back  at  his  chief. 

"  Well,  good-bye  then,"  he  said. 

Hollis  did  not  turn.  "  Good-bye,"  he  an 
swered. 

Potter  took  one  step  outward,  hesitated,  and 
then  again  faced  the  front  of  the  office. 

"  Damn  it,  Hollis,"  he  said  hoarsely,  "  don't 
wait  for  Ten  Spot  to  start  anything;  when  you 
see  him  coming  in  the  door  bore  him.  You've 
got  a  right  to;  that's  the  law  in  this  country. 
When  a  man  gives  you  notice  to  leave  town 
you've  got  a  right  to  shoot  him  on  sight !  " 

For  a  moment  he  stood,  awaiting  an  answer. 
None  came.  Potter  sighed  and  stepped  out 
through  the  door,  leaving  his  chief  alone. 

At  one  minute  to  six  Hollis  pulled  out  his 
watch.  He  sighed,  replaced  the  time-piece,  and 
leaned  back  in  his  chair.  A  glance  out  through 
the  window  showed  him  that  the  street  was  de 
serted  except  for  here  and  there  a  cow  pony 
drooping  over  one  of  the  hitching  rails  and  a 
wagon  or  two  standing  in  front  of  a  store.  The 
sun  was  coming  slantwise  over  the  roofs;  Hollis 
saw  that  the  strip  of  shade  in  front  of  the  Kicker 
building  had  grown  to  wide  proportions.  He 


140     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

looked  at  his  watch  again.  It  was  one  minute 
after  six — and  still  there  were  no  signs  of  Ten 
Spot. 

A  derisive  grin  appeared  on  Hollis's  face. 
Perhaps  Ten  Spot  had  reconsidered.  He  de 
cided  that  he  would  wait  until  ten  minutes  after 
six;  that  would  give  Ten  Spot  a  decent  margin 
of  time  for  delay. 

And  then  there  was  a  sudden  movement  and  a 
man  stood  just  inside  the  office  door,  a  heavy  re 
volver  in  his  right  hand,  its  muzzle  menacing 
Hollis.  The  man  was  tall  and  angular,  ap 
parently  about  thirty  years  old,  with  thin,  cruel 
lips  and  insolent,  shifty  eyes. 

'  'Nds  up !  "  he  said  sharply,  swinging  the  re 
volver  to  a  threatening  poise.  "  It's  six  o'clock, 
you  tenderfoot !  " 

This  was  the  vile  epithet  that  had  been  applied 
to  Hollis  by  Yuma  Ed,  which  had  been  the  direct 
cause  of  Yuma's  downfall  the  day  of  Hollis's  ar 
rival  in  Dry  Bottom.  Hollis's  eyes  flashed,  but 
the  man  was  several  feet  from  him  and  out  of 
reach  of  his  fists.  Had  Hollis  been  standing  he 
would  have  had  no  chance  to  reach  the  man  be 
fore  the  latter  could  have  made  use  of  his  weapon. 
Therefore  Hollis  remained  motionless  in  his 
chair,  catching  the  man's  gaze  and  holding  it 
steadily  with  unwavering,  narrowed  eyes. 


THE  "KICKER"   OFFICE      141 

Though  he  had  waited  for  the  coming  of  Ten 
Spot,  he  had  formulated  no  plan  of  action;  he 
had  felt  that  somehow  he  would  come  out  of  the 
clash  with  him  without  injury.  He  still  thought 
so.  In  spite  of  his  danger  he  felt  that  some 
chance  of  escape  would  be  offered  him.  Grimly 
confident  of  this  he  smiled  at  the  man,  though 
still  holding  his  gaze,  determined,  if  he  saw  the 
faintest  flicker  of  decision  in  his  eyes,  to  duck 
and  tackle  him  regardless  of  consequences. 

"  I  suppose  you  are  Ten  Spot? "  he  said 
slowly.  He  was  surprised  at  the  steadiness  of 
his  voice. 

The  man  grinned,  his  eyes  alert,  shifty,  filled 
with  a  chilling  menace.  "  You've  got  her  right, 
tenderfoot,"  he  said;  "  '  Ten  Spot's  '  m'  handle, 
an'  if  you're  a-feelin'  like  criticizin'  of  her  do  her 
some  rapid  before  I  starts  dealin'  out  the  lead 
which  is  in  my  pritty." 

Just  how  one  man  could  be  so  entirely  re 
morseless  as  to  shoot  another  when  that  other 
man  was  looking  straight  into  his  eyes  Hollis 
could  not  understand.  He  could  readily  realize 
how  a  man  could  kill  when  provoked  to  anger, 
or  when  brooding  over  an  injury.  But  he  had 
done  nothing  to  Ten  Spot — did  not  even  know 
him — had  never  seen  him  before,  and  how  Ten 
Spot  could  deliberately  shoot  him — without  pro- 


142     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

vocation— was  incomprehensible.  He  was  con 
vinced  that  in  order  to  shoot,  Ten  Spot  must 
work  himself  into  an  artificial  rage,  and  he  be 
lieved  that  the  vile  epithet  which  Ten  Spot  had 
applied  to  him  immediately  upon  his  entrance 
must  be  part  of  his  scheme.  He  was  convinced 
that  had  he  shown  the  slightest  resentment  over 
the  application  of  the  epithet  Ten  Spot  would 
have  shot  him  down  at  once.  Therefore  he  re 
solved  to  give  the  man  no  opportunity  to  work 
himself  into  a  rage.  He  smiled  again  as  Ten 
Spot  concluded  and  carelessly  twisted  himself 
about  in  his  chair  until  he  was  in  a  position  to 
make  a  quick  spring. 

*  Ten  Spot '  is  a  picturesque  name,"  he  re 
marked  quietly,  not  removing  his  gaze  from  Ten 
Spot's  eyes  for  the  slightest  fraction  of  a  second; 
"  I  have  no  criticism  to  make.  I  have  always 
made  it  a  point  to  refrain  from  criticizing  my 
visitors.  At  least  I  do  not  recollect  ever  having 
criticized  a  visitor  who  carried  a  gun,"  he  con 
cluded  with  a  smile. 

Ten  Spot's  lips  curled  sarcastically.  Appar 
ently  he  would  not  swerve  in  his  determination  to 
provoke  trouble. 

"  Hell,"  he  said  truculently,  "  that  there  pala 
ver  makes  me  sick.  I  reckon  you're  too  damn 
white  livered  to  criticize  a  man  that's  lookin'  at 


THE   "KICKER"   OFFICE       143 

you.  There  ain't  no  tenderfoot  (here  he  ap 
plied  the  unprintable  epithet  again)  got  nerve 
enough  to  criticize  nothin' ! " 

Hollis  slowly  raised  his  hands  and  placed  them 
on  the  arms  of  his  chair,  apparently  to  steady 
himself,  but  in  reality  to  be  ready  to  project  him 
self  out  of  the  chair  in  case  he  could  discern  any 
indication  of  action  on  Ten  Spot's  part. 

;<  Ten  Spot,"  he  said  in  a  low,  even,  well  con 
trolled  voice,  conciliatory,  but  filled  with  a  man 
liness  which  no  man  could  mistake,  "  at  four 
o'clock  this  afternoon  I  heard  that  you  and 
Yuma  Ed  were  framing  up  your  present  visit. 
I  am  not  telling  who  gave  me  the  information," 
he  added  as  he  saw  Ten  Spot's  eyes  brighten, 
"  but  that  is  what  happened.  So  you  see  I  know 
what  you  have  come  for.  You  have  come  to  kill 
me.  Is  that  correct?" 

Ten  Spot's  eyes  narrowed — into  them  had 
come  an  appraising,  speculative  glint.  He  nod 
ded.  "  You've  got  her  right,"  he  admitted 
gruffly.  "  But  if  you  knowed  why  didn't  you 
slope?  "  He  looked  at  Hollis  with  a  half  sneer, 
as  though  unable  to  decide  whether  Hollis  was 
a  brave  man  or  merely  a  fool. 

Hollis  saw  the  indecision  in  Ten  Spot's  eyes 
and  his  own  brightened.  At  last  he  had  planned 
a  form  of  action  and  he  cooly  estimated  the  dis- 


144     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

tance  between  himself  and  Ten  Spot.  While 
Hollis  had  been  speaking  Ten  Spot  had  taken  a 
step  forward  and  he  was  now  not  over  four  or 
five  feet  distant.  Into  Ten  Spot's  eyes  had 
come  an  amused,  disdainful  gleam ;  Hollis's  quiet, 
argumentative  attitude  had  disarmed  him.  This 
was  exactly  what  Hollis  had  been  waiting  for. 

Ten  Spot  seemed  almost  to  have  forgotten  his 
weapon;  it  had  sagged,  the  muzzle  pointing 
downward — the  man's  mind  had  become  tem 
porarily  diverted  from  his  purpose.  When  he 
saw  Hollis  move  suddenly  forward  he  remem 
bered  his  gun  and  tried  to  swing  its  muzzle  up 
ward,  but  it  was  too  late.  Hollis  had  lunged 
forward,  his  left  hand  closing  on  Ten  Spot's 
right  wrist,  his  right  fist  reaching  Ten  Spot's 
jaw  in  a  full,  sweeping,  crashing  uppercut. 

The  would-be  killer  did  not  have  even  time 
enough  to  pull  the  trigger  of  his  six-shooter.  It 
fell  from  his  hand  and  thudded  dully  to  the  floor 
as  his  knees  doubled  under  him  and  he  collapsed 
in  an  inert,  motionless  heap  near  the  door. 

With  a  grim  smile  on  his  face  Hollis  picked  up 
Ten  Spot's  weapon  and  placed  it  on  the  desk. 
For  an  instant  he  stood  at  the  window,  looking 
out  into  the  street.  Down  near  the  Fashion  he 
saw  some  men — Yuma  Ed  among  them.  No 
doubt  they  were  waiting  the  sound  of  the  pistol 


THE   "KICKER"   OFFICE      145 

shot  which  would  tell  them  that  Ten  Spot  had 
disposed  of  Hollis.  Hollis  grinned  widely — 
Yuma  and  his  gang  were  due  for  a  surprise. 
For  perhaps  a  minute  Hollis  stood  beside  the 
desk,  watching  Ten  Spot.  Then  when  the  lat- 
ter's  hands  began  to  twitch  and  a  trace  of  color 
appeared  in  his  face,  Hollis  pulled  out  his  own 
revolver  and  approached  him,  standing  within  a 
few  feet  of  him  and  looking  down  at  him. 

There  was  no  mark  on  Ten  Spot's  jaw  to  show 
where  Hollis's  blow  had  landed,  for  his  fist  had 
struck  flush  on  the  point,  its  force  directed  up 
ward.  Ten  Spot's  mouth  had  been  open  at  the 
instant  and  the  snapping  of  his  teeth  from  the 
impact  of  the  blow  no  doubt  had  much  to  do  with 
his  long  period  of  unconsciousness. 

He  stirred  presently  and  then  with  an  effort 
sat  up  and  looked  at  his  conqueror  with  a  glance 
of  puzzled  wonderment.  Seeing  Hollis's  weapon 
and  his  own  on  the  desk,  the  light  of  past  events 
seemed  to  filter  into  his  bewildered  brain.  He 
grinned  owlishly,  felt  of  his  jaw  and  then  bowed 
his  head,  a  flush  of  shame  overspreading  his  face. 

"  Herd-rode ! "  he  said  dismally.  "  Herd- 
rode,  an'  by  a  tenderfoot!  Oh,  Lordy!"  He 
suddenly  looked  up  at  Hollis,  his  eyes  flashing 
with  rage  and  defiance. 

"  Damn  your  hide,  why  don't  you  shoot? "  he 


146     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

demanded.  He  placed  his  hands,  palm  down, 
on  the  floor,  preparatory  to  rising,  but  ceased  his 
efforts  when  he  heard  Hollis's  voice,  coldly 
humorous : 

"  I  shall  shoot  you  just  the  instant  you  get  to 
your  feet.  I  rather  think  that  I  am  running 
things  here  now." 

Ten  Spot  sagged  back  and  looked  up  at  him. 
'  Why  I  reckon  you  are,"  he  said.  No  method 
of  action  having  suggested  itself  to  him,  he  con 
tinued  to  sit,  watching  Hollis  narrowly. 

The  latter  retreated  to  his  chair  and  dropped 
into  it,  moving  deliberately.  When  he  spoke  his 
voice  was  cold  and  metallic. 

;<  When  you  first  came  into  the  office,"  he  said, 
"  you  applied  a  vile  epithet  to  me.  Once  after 
that  you  did  it  again.  You  have  asked  me  why 
I  don't  shoot  you.  If  you  really  want  me  to 
shoot  you  you  can  keep  your  mouth  closed  for 
just  one  minute.  If  you  want  to  continue  to 
live  you  can  tell  me  that  you  didn't  mean  a  word 
of  what  you  said  on  those  two  occasions.  It's 
up  to  you."  He  sat  silent,  looking  steadily  at 
Ten  Spot. 

The  latter  fidgeted,  shame  again  reddening  his 
cheeks.  "  Why,"  he  said  finally,  "  I  reckon  she 
don't  go,  tenderfoot.  You  see,  she's  only  a 
noma  de  ploom  which  we  uses  when  we  wants  to 


THE   "KICKER"    OFFICE       147 

rile  somebody.  I  cert'nly  didn't  mean  nothin' 
by  it." 

"Thanks,"  drawled  Hollis  dryly;  "I'll  call 
that  sufficient.  But  you  certainly  did  '  rile  '  me 
some." 

"  I  reckon  I  must  have  done  just  that," 
grinned  Ten  Spot  ruefully.  "  You're  shorely 
some  she-wolf  with  them  there  claws  of  your'n. 
An'  I  done  laffed  at  Dunlavey  an'  Yuma  after 
you'd  clawed  them."  His  face  sobered,  his  eyes 
suddenly  filling  with  an  expression  of  defiant 
resignation. 

"  I  reckon  when  you're  done  triflin'  with  me 
you  c'n  start  to  pumpin'  your  lead,"  he  said. 
"  There  ain't  no  use  of  prolongin'  the  agony." 
He  looked  steadily  at  Hollis,  his  eyes  filling  with 
decision  as  he  again  placed  his  hands  beside  him 
on  the  floor  to  rise. 

'  You  c'n  open  the  ball  when  you  get  damn 
good  an'  ready,"  he  sneered,  "  but  I'm  gettin' 
up  right  now.  I  ain't  goin'  to  die  off  my  pins 
like  a  damn  coyote !  " 

He  rose  quickly,  plainly  expecting  to  be  shot 
down  the  moment  he  reached  his  feet.  When  he 
discovered  that  Hollis  evidently  intended  to  de 
lay  the  fatal  moment  he  stiffened,  his  lips  twitch 
ing  queerly. 

"  Ten  Spot,"  said  Hollis  quietly,  "  by  apolo- 


148     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

gizing  for  what  you  said  when  you  came  in  you 
have  shown  that  there  is  a  great  deal  of  the  man 
left  in  you  despite  your  bad  habits  and  associa 
tions.  I  am  going  to  show  you  that  I  think 
there  is  enough  of  the  man  left  in  you  to  trust 
you  with  your  gun." 

He  turned  abruptly  to  the  desk  and  took  up 
Ten  Spot's  weapon,  holding  it  by  the  muzzle  and 
presenting  it  to  the  latter.  Ten  Spot  looked 
from  the  weapon  to  Hollis  and  back  again  to 
the  weapon,  blank  amazement  pictured  on  his 
face.  Then  he  reached  out  mechanically,  taking 
the  weapon  and  holding  it  in  his  hands,  turning 
it  over  and  over  as  though  half  inclined  to  be 
lieve  that  it  was  not  a  revolver  at  all. 

"  Chuck  full  of  cattridges,  too! "  he  exclaimed 
in  amazement,  as  he  examined  the  chambers. 

"Why,    hell "     He   crouched    and    deftly 

swung  the  six-shooter  around,  the  butt  in  his 
hand,  his  finger  resting  on  the  trigger.  In  this 
position  he  looked  at  Hollis. 

The  latter  had  not  moved,  but  his  own  weapon 
was  in  his  right  hand,  its  muzzle  covering  Ten 
Spot,  and  when  the  latter  swung  his  weapon  up 
Hollis  smiled  grimly  at  him. 

!<  Using  it?"  he  questioned. 

For  an  instant  it  seemed  that  Ten  Spot  would. 
An  exultant,  designing  expression  came  into  his 


THE  "KICKER"   OFFICE      149 

eyes,  he  grinned,  his  teeth  showing  tigerishly. 
Then  suddenly  he  snapped  himself  erect  and 
with  a  single,  dexterous  movement  bolstered  the 
weapon.  Then  his  right  hand  came  suddenly 
out  toward  Hollis. 

"  Shake!  "  he  said.  "  By ,  you're  white! " 

Hollis  smiled  as  he  returned  the  hearty  hand 
clasp. 

"  You're  cert'nly  plum  grit,"  assured  Ten 
Spot  as  he  released  Hollis's  hand  and  stepped 
back  the  better  to  look  at  the  latter.  "But  I 
reckon  you're  some  damn  fool  too.  How  did 
you  know  that  I  wouldn't  turn  you  into  a  col 
ander  when  you  give  me  back  my  gun? " 

"I  didn't  know,"  smiled  Hollis.  "I  just 
took  a  chance.  You  see,"  he  added,  "  it  was  this 
way.  I  never  intended  to  shoot  you.  That  sort 
of  thing  isn't  in  my  line  and  I  don't  intend  to 
shoot  anyone  if  there  is  any  way  out  of  it.  But 
I  certainly  wasn't  going  to  allow  you  to  shoot 
me."  He  smiled  oddly.  "  So  I  watched  my 
chance  and  slugged  you.  Then  when  I  was  cer 
tain  that  you  weren't  dangerous  any  more  I  had 
to  face  another  problem.  If  I  had  turned  you 
loose  after  taking  your  gun  what  would  you 
have  done? " 

"  I'd  have  gone  out  an'  rustled  another  gun 
an'  come  back  here  an'  salivated  you." 


"  That's  just  what  you  would  have  done," 
smiled  Hollis.  "  I  intend  to  stay  in  this  coun 
try,  Ten  Spot,  and  if  I  had  turned  you  loose 
without  an  understanding  you  would  have  shot 
me  at  the  first  opportunity.  As  it  stands  now 
you  owe  me " 

"  As  it  stands  now,"  interrupted  Ten  Spot, 
a  queer  expression  on  his  face,  "  I'm  done  shoot- 
in'  as  far  as  you're  concerned."  He  walked  to 
the  door,  hesitated  on  the  threshold  and  looked 
back.  "  Mister  man,"  he  said  slowly,  "  mebbe 
you  won't  lick  Big  Bill  in  this  here  little  mix-up, 
but  I'm  telling  you  that  you're  goin'  to  give  him 
a  damn  good  run  for  his  money !  So-long." 

He  stepped  down  and  disappeared.  For  a 
moment  Hollis  looked  after  him,  and  then  he 
sat  down  at  the  desk,  his  face  softening  into  a 
satisfied  smile.  It  was  something  to  receive  a 
tribute  from  a  man  like  Ten  Spot. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  LOST  TKAIL 

IT  was  after  seven  o'clock  when  Hollis 
mounted  his  pony  in  the  rear  of  the  Kicker 
office  and  rode  out  over  the  plains  toward 
the  Circle  Bar.  He  was  properly  elated  by  the 
outcome  of  his  affair  with  Ten  Spot.  The  latter 
had  come  to  the  Kicker  office  as  an  enemy  look 
ing  for  an  opportunity  to  kill.  He  had  left  the 
office,  perhaps  not  a  friend,  but  at  least  a  neutral, 
sympathetic  onlooker,  for  according  to  Hollis's 
interpretation  of  his  words  at  parting  he  would 
take  no  further  part  in  Dunlavey's  campaign — 
at  least  he  would  do  no  more  shooting. 

Hollis  was  compelled  to  make  a  long  detour 
in  order  to  strike  the  Circle  Bar  trail,  and  when 
at  seven-thirty  o'clock  he  rode  down  through  a 
dry  arroyo  toward  a  little  basin  which  he  must 
cross  to  reach  a  ridge  that  had  been  his  landmark 
during  all  his  trips  back  and  forth  from  Dry 
Bottom  to  the  Circle  Bar,  dusk  had  fallen  and 
the  shadows  of  the  oncoming  night  were  settling 
somberly  down  over  the  plains. 

151 


152    THE  COMING.  OF  THE  LAW 

He  rode  slowly  forward;  there  was  no  reason 
•for  haste,  for  he  had  told  Potter  to  say  nothing 
about  the  reason  of  his  delay  in  leaving  Dry 
Bottom,  and  Potter  would  not  expect  him  before 
nine  o'clock-  Hollis  had  warmed  toward  Potter 
this  day ;  there  had  been  in  the  old  printer's  man 
ner  that  afternoon  a  certain  solicitous  concern 
and  sympathy  that  had  struck  a  responsive 
chord  in  his  heart.  He  was  not  a  sentimentalist, 
but  many  times  during  his  acquaintance  with 
Potter  he  had  felt  a  genuine  pity  for  the  man. 
It  had  been  this  sentiment  which  had  moved  him 
to  ask  Potter  to  remove  temporarily  to  the  Cir 
cle  Bar,  though  one  consideration  had  been  the 
fact  at  the  Circle  Bar  he  would  most  of  the  time 
be  beyond  the  evil  influence  of  Dry  Bottom's 
saloons.  That  Potter  appreciated  this  had 
been  shown  by  his  successful  fight  against 
temptation  the  night  before,  when  postponement 
of  the  publication  of  the  Kicker  would  have  been 
fraught  with  serious  consequences. 

Riding  down  through  the  little  basin  at  the 
end  of  the  arroyo  Hollis  yielded  to  a  deep,  stir 
ring  satisfaction  over  the  excellent  beginning  he 
had  made  in  his  fight  against  Dunlavey  and  the 
interests  behind  him.  Many  times  he  smiled, 
thinking  of  the  surprise  his  old  friends  in  the 
East  must  have  felt  over  the  perusal  of  their 


THE   LOST   TRAIL  153 

copies  of  the  Kicker;  over  the  information  that 
he — who  had  been  something  of  a  figure  in  East 
ern  newspaperdom — had  become  the  owner  and 
editor  of  a  newspaper  in  a  God-forsaken  town 
in  New  Mexico,  and  that  at  the  outset  he  was 
waging  war  against  interests  that  ridiculed  a 
judge  of  the  United  States  Court.  He  smiled 
grimly.  They  might  be  surprised,  but  they 
must  feel,  all  who  knew  him,  that  he  would  stay 
and  fight  until  victory  rewarded  him  or  until 
black,  bitter  defeat  became  his  portion.  There 
could  be  no  compromise. 

When  he  reached  the  ridge  toward  which  he 
had  been  riding  for  the  greater  part  of  an  hour 
night  had  come.  The  day  had  been  hot,  but 
there  had  been  a  slight  breeze,  and  in  the  Kicker 
office,  with  the  front  and  rear  doors  open,  he 
had  not  noticed  the  heat  very  much.  But  just 
as  he  reached  the  ridge  he  became  aware  that 
the  breeze  had  died  down ;  that  waves  of  hot,  sul 
try  air  were  rising  from  the  sun-baked  earth. 
Usually  at  this  time  of  the  night  there  were 
countless  stars,  and  now  as  he  looked  up  into  the 
great,  vast  arc  of  sky  he  saw  no  stars  at  all  ex 
cept  away  down  in  the  west  in  a  big  rift  between 
some  mountains.  He  pulled  up  his  pony  and 
sat  motionless  in  the  saddle,  watching  the  sky. 
A  sudden  awe  for  the  grandeur  of  the  scene! 


154.    THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

filled  him.  He  remembered  to  have  seen  noth 
ing  quite  like  it  in  the  East. 

Back  toward  Dry  Bottom,  and  on  the  north 
and  south,  rose  great,  black  thunderheads  with 
white  crests,  seeming  like  mountains  with  snow 
capped  peaks.  Between  the  thunder-heads 
were  other  clouds,  of  grayish- white,  fleecy,  wind- 
whipped,  wierd  shapes,  riding  on  the  wings  of 
the  Storm-Kings.  Other  clouds  flanked  these, 
moving  slowly  and  majestically — like  great 
ships  on  the  sea — in  striking  contrast  to  the 
fleecy,  unstable  shapes  between  the  thunder- 
heads,  which,  though  rushing  always  onward, 
were  riven  and  broken  by  the  irresistible  force 
behind  them.  To  Hollis  it  seemed  there  were 
two  mighty  opposing  forces  at  work  in  the  sky, 
marshalling,  maneuvering,  preparing  for  con 
flict.  While  he  sat  motionless  in  the  saddle 
watching,  a  sudden  gust  of  cold  wind  swirled 
up  around  him,  dashed  some  fine,  flint-like  sand 
against  his  face  and  into  his  eyes,  and  then  swept 
onward.  He  was  blinded  for  an  instant,  and 
allowed  the  reins  to  drop  on  his  pony's  neck 
while  he  rubbed  his  eyes  with  his  fingers.  He 
sat  thus  through  an  ominous  hush  and  then  to 
his  ears  came  a  low,  distant  rumble. 

He  touched  his  pony  lightly  on  the  flanks  with 
his  spurs  and  headed  it  along  the  ridge,  con- 


THE   LOST   TRAIL  155 

vinced  that  a  storm  was  coming  and  suddenly 
realizing  that  he  was  many  miles  from  shelter. 

He  had  traveled  only  a  little  distance  when 
clouds  of  sand  and  dust,  wind-driven,  enveloped 
him,  blinding  him  again,  stinging  his  face  and 
hands  and  blotting  out  the  landmarks  upon 
which  he  depended  to  guide  him  to  the  Circle 
Bar.  The  sky  had  grown  blacker;  even  the 
patch  of  blue  that  he  had  seen  in  the  rift  be 
tween  the  distant  mountains  was  now  gone. 
There  was  nothing  above  him — it  seemed — ex 
cept  inky  black  clouds,  nothing  below  but  chaos 
and  wind.  He  could  not  see  a  foot  of  the  trail 
and  so  he  gave  the  pony  the  rein,  trusting  to  its 
instinct. 

When  Norton  had  provided  him  with  an  out 
fit  the  inevitable  tarpaulin  had  not  been  neg 
lected.  Hollis  remembered  that  this  was  at 
tached  to  the  cantle  of  the  saddle,  and  so,  after 
he  had  proceeded  a  little  way  along  the  crest  of 
the  ridge,  he  halted  the  pony,  dismounted,  un 
strapped  the  tarpaulin,  and  folded  it  about  him. 
Then  he  remounted  and  continued  on  his  way, 
mentally  thanking  Norton  for  his  foresight. 

The  pony  had  negotiated  the  ridge;  had 
slowly  loped  down  its  slope  to  a  comparatively 
low  and  level  stretch  of  country,  and  was  travel 
ing  steadily  forward,  when  Hollis  noticed  a 


156    THE   COMING   OF  THE  LAW 

change  in  the  atmosphere.  It  had  grown  hot 
again — sultry;  the  heat  seemed  to  cling  to  him. 
An  ominous  calm  had  succeeded  the  aerial  dis 
turbance.  From  a  great  distance  came  a  slight 
sound — a  gentle  sighing — gradually  diminishing 
until  it  died  away  entirely.  Then  again  came 
the  ominous,  premonitory  silence — an  absolute 
absence  of  life  and  movement.  Hollis  urged 
the  pony  forward,  hoping  the  calm  would  last 
until  he  had  covered  a  goodly  part  of  the  dis 
tance  to  the  Circle  Bar.  For  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  he  went  on  at  a  good  pace.  But  he  had 
scarcely  reached  the  edge  of  a  stretch  of  broken 
country — which  he  dreaded  even  in  the  daylight 
— when  the  storm  was  upon  him. 

It  did  not  come  unheralded.  A  blinding 
flash  of  lightning  illuminated  miles  of  the  sur 
rounding  country,  showing  Hollis  the  naked 
peaks  of  ridges  and  hills  around  him;  gullies, 
draws,  barrancas,  the  levels,  lava  beds,  fantastic 
rock  shapes — mocking  his  ignorance  of  the  coun 
try.  He  saw  them  all  for  an  instant  and  then 
they  were  gone  and  darkness — blacker  than  be 
fore — succeeded.  It  was  as  though  a  huge  map 
had  suddenly  been  thrust  before  his  eyes  by  some 
giant  hand,  an  intense  light  thrown  upon  it,  and 
the  light  suddenly  turned  off.  Immediately 
there  came  a  heavy  crash  as  though  the  Storm- 


THE   LOST   TRAIL  157 

Kings,  having  marshalled  their  forces,  had 
thrown  them  together  in  one,  great,  clashing 
onrush.  And  then,  straight  down,  roaring  and 
shrieking,  came  the  deluge. 

The  wise  little  plains-pony  halted,  standing 
with  drooping  head,  awaiting  the  end  of  the  first 
fierce  onslaught.  It  lasted  long  and  when  it  had 
gone  another  silence,  as  ominous  as  the  preced 
ing  one,  followed.  The  rain  ceased  entirely  and 
the  pony  again  stepped  forward,  making  his  way 
slowly,  for  the  trail  was  now  slippery  and 
hazardous.  The  baked  earth  had  become  a 
slimy,  sticky  clay  which  clung  tenaciously  to  the 
pony's  hoofs. 

For  another  quarter  of  an  hour  the  pony 
floundered  through  the  mud,  around  gigantic 
boulders,  over  slippery  hummocks,  across  little 
gullies,  upon  ridges  and  small  hills  and  down 
into  comparatively  level  stretches  of  country. 
Hollis  was  beginning  to  think  that  he  might 
escape  a  bad  wetting  after  all  when  the  rain  came 
again. 

This  time  it  seemed  the  Storm-Kings  were  in 
earnest.  The  rain  came  down  in  torrents ;  Hol 
lis  could  feel  it  striking  against  his  tarpaulin  in 
long,  stinging,  vicious  slants,  and  the  lightning 
played  and  danced  along  the  ridges  and  into  the 
gullies  with  continuing  energy,  the  thunder  f ol- 


158     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

lowing,  crashing  in  terrific  volleys.  It  was  un 
comfortable,  to  say  the  least,  and  the  only  con 
soling  thought  was  that  the  deluge  would  prove 
a  God-send  to  the  land  and  the  cattle.  Hollis 
began  to  wish  that  he  had  remained  in  Dry  Bot 
tom  for  the  night,  but  of  course  Dry  Bottom 
was  not  to  be  thought  of  now;  he  must  devote 
all  his  energy  to  reaching  the  ranch. 

It  was  slow  work  for  the  pony.  After  riding 
for  another  quarter  of  an  hour  Hollis  saw,  dur 
ing  another  lightning  flash,  another  of  his  land 
marks,  and  realized  that  in  the  last  quarter  of  an 
hour  he  had  traveled  a  very  short  distance.  The 
continuing  flashes  of  lightning  had  helped  the 
pony  forward,  but  presently  the  lightning 
ceased  and  a  dense  blackness  succeeded.  The 
pony  went  forward  at  an  uncertain  pace ;  several 
times  it  halted  and  faced  about,  apparently  un 
decided  about  the  trail.  After  another  half 
hour's  travel  and  coming  to  a  stretch  of  level 
country,  the  pony  halted  again,  refusing  to  re 
spond  to  Hollis's  repeated  urging  to  go  for 
ward  without  guidance.  For  a  long  time  Hol 
lis  continued  to  urge  the  animal — he  cajoled, 
threatened — but  the  pony  would  not  budge. 
Hollis  was  forced  to  the  uncomfortable  realiza 
tion  that  it  had  lost  the  trail. 

For  a  long  time  he  sat  quietly  in  the  saddle, 


THE   LOST   TRAIL  159 

trying  in  the  dense  darkness  to  determine  upon 
direction,  but  he  finally  gave  it  up  and  with  a 
sudden  impulse  took  up  the  reins  and  pulled  the 
pony  to  the  left,  determined  to  keep  to  the  flat 
country  as  long  as  possible. 

He  traveled  for  what  seemed  several  miles,  the 
pony  gingerly  feeling  its  way,  when  suddenly  it 
halted  and  refused  to  advance.  Something  was 
wrong.  Hollis  leaned  forward,  attempting  to 
peer  through  the  darkness  ahead,  but  not  suc 
ceeding.  And  now,  as  though  having  accom 
plished  its  design  by  causing  Hollis  to  lose  the 
trail,  the  lightning  flashed  again,  illuminating 
the  surrounding  country  for  several  miles. 

Hollis  had  been  peering  ahead  when  the  flash 
came  and  he  drew  a  deep  breath  of  horror  and 
surprise.  The  pony  had  halted  within  a  foot  of 
the  edge  of  a  high  cliff  whose  side  dropped  away 
sheer,  as  though  cut  with  a  knife.  Down  below, 
perhaps  a  hundred  feet,  was  an  immense  basin, 
through  which  flowed  a  stream  of  water.  To 
Hollis's  right,  parallel  with  the  stream,  the  cliff 
sloped  suddenly  down,  reaching  the  water's  edge 
at  a  distance  of  two  or  three  hundred  feet.  Be 
yond  that  was  a  stretch  of  sloping  country  many] 
miles  in  area,  and,  also  on  his  right,  was  a  long, 
high,  narrow  ridge.  He  recognized  the  ridge 
as  the  one  on  which  he  and  Norton  had  ridden 


160    THE   COMING  OF   THE   LAW 

some  six  weeks  before — on  the  day  he  had  had 
the  adventure  with  Ed  Hazelton.  Another 
flash  of  lightning  showed  him  two  cotton-wood 
trees — the  ones  pointed  out  to  him  by  Norton  as 
marking  Big  Elk  crossing — the  dead  line  set  by 
Dunlavey  and  his  men. 

Hollis  knew  his  direction  now  and  he  pulled 
the  pony  around  and  headed  it  away  from  the 
edge  of  the  cliff  and  toward  the  flat  country 
which  he  knew  led  down  through  the  canyon  to 
Devil's  Hollow,  where  he  had  taken  leave  of  Ed 
and  Nellie  Hazelton.  He  was  congratulating 
himself  upon  his  narrow  escape  when  a  flash  of 
lightning  again  illuminated  the  country  and  he 
saw,  not  over  a  hundred  feet  distant,  sitting  mo 
tionless  on  their  ponies,  a  half  dozen  cowboys. 
Also  on  his  pony,  slightly  in  advance  of  the 
others,  a  grin  of  derision  on  his  face,  was  Dun 
lavey. 


CHAPTER   XI 

PICKING  UP  THE  TRAIL 

AT  about  the  time  that  the  storm  had  over 
taken  Hollis,  Potter  was  unsaddling  his 
pony  at  the  Circle  Bar  corral  gate.    A 
little  later  he  was  on  the  wide  lower  gallery  of 
the  ranchhouse  washing  the  stains  of  travel  from 
his  face  and  hands.     At  supper  he  was  taciturn, 
his   face   deeply  thoughtful.     Had   Ten   Spot 
come?    What    had    been  the  outcome    of    the 
meeting?     These  questions  preyed  on  his  mind 
and  brought  furrows  into  his  face. 

At  supper  he  caught  Norton  watching  him 
furtively  and  he  flushed  guiltily,  for  he  felt  that 
in  spite  of  Hollis's  order  to  say  nothing  to  Nor 
ton  he  should  have  told.  He  had  already  in 
formed  Norton  that  Hollis  intended  remaining 
in  Dry  Bottom  until  a  later  hour  than  usual,  but 
he  had  said  nothing  about  the  intended  visit  of 
Ten  Spot  to  the  Kicker  office.  'Loyalty  to  Hol 
lis  kept  him  from  communicating  to  Norton  his 
fears  for  Hollis's  safety.  It  was  now  too  late  to 
do  anything  if  he  did  tell  Norton ;  whatever  had 

161 


162     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

been  done  had  been  done  already  and  there  was 
nothing  for  him  to  do  but  to  wait  until  nine 
o'clock. 

After  he  finished  his  meal  he  drew  a  chair  out 
upon  the  gallery  and  placing  it  in  a  corner  from 
where  he  could  see  the  Dry  Bottom  trail  he 
seated  himself  in  it  and  tried  to  combat  the  dis 
quieting  fears  that  oppressed  him.  When  Nor 
ton  came  out  and  took  a  chair  near  him  he  tried 
to  talk  to  the  range  boss  upon  those  small  sub 
jects  with  which  we  fill  our  leisure,  but  he  could 
not  hold  his  thoughts  to  these  trivialities.  He 
fell  into  long  silences;  his  thoughts  kept  going 
back  to  Dry  Bottom. 

When  the  rain  came  he  felt  a  little  easier,  for 
he  had  a  hope  that  Hollis  might  have  noticed  the 
approach  of  the  storm  and  decided  to  remain  in 
town  until  it  had  passed.  But  after  the  rain  had 
ceased  his  fears  again  returned.  He  looked 
many  times  at  his  watch  and  when  Mrs.  Norton 
came  to  the  door  and  announced  her  intention  of 
retiring  he  scarcely  noticed  her.  Norton  had  re 
peatedly  referred  to  Hollis's  absence,  and  each 
time  Potter  had  assured  him  that  Hollis  would 
come  soon.  Shortly  before  nine  o'clock,  when 
the  clouds  lifted  and  the  stars  began  to  appear, 
Potter  rose  and  paced  the  gallery  floor.  At 
nine,  when  it  had  become  light  enough  to  see 


PICKING   UP  THE   TRAIL      163 

quite  a  little  distance  down  the  Dry  Bottom  trail 
and  there  were  still  no  signs  of  Hollis,  he  blurted 
out  the  story  of  the  day's  occurrences. 

The  information  acted  upon  Norton  like  an 
electric  shock.  He  was  on  his  feet  before  Pot 
ter  had  finished  speaking,  grasping  him  by  the 
shoulders  and  shaking  him  roughly. 

"  Why  didn't  you  say  something  before?  "  he 
demanded.  "  Why  did  you  leave  him?  Wasn't 
there  somebody  in  Dry  Bottom  that  you  could 
have  sent  out  here  to  tell  me?"  He  cursed 
harshly.  "Ten  Spot's  got  him ! "  he  declared 
sharply,  his  eyes  glittering  savagely.  "  He'd 
have  been  here  by  this  time !  "  He  was  taking  a 
hitch  in  his  cartridge  belt  while  talking,  and  be 
fore  concluding  he  was  down  off  the  gallery  floor 
and  striding  toward  the  corral. 

"  Tell  my  wife  that  I've  gone  to  Dry  Bot 
tom,"  he  called  back  to  Potter.  "  Important 
business !  I'll  be  back  shortly  after  midnight !  " 

Leaving  Potter  on  the  porch  staring  after  him 
he  ran  to  the  corral,  roped  his  pony,  threw  on  a 
saddle  and  bridle  and  mounted  with  the  animal 
on  a  run. 

The  stars  were  shining  brilliantly  now  and 
from  the  porch  Potter  could  see  Norton  racing 
down  the  Dry  Bottom  trail  with  his  pony  in  a 
furious  gallop.  For  a  time  Potter  watched  him, 


164    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

then  he  disappeared  and  Potter  went  into  the 
house  to  communicate  his  message  to  his  wife. 

The  rain  had  been  heavy  while  it  lasted,  but 
by  the  time  Norton  had  begun  his  race  to  Dry 
Bottom  very  little  evidence  of  it  remained  and 
the  pony's  flying  hoofs  found  the  sand  of  the 
trail  almost  as  dry  and  hard  as  before  the  storm. 
Indeed,  there  was  now  little  evidence  that  there 
had  been  a  storm  at  all. 

Norton  spared  the  pony  only  on  the  rises  and 
in  something  over  an  hour  after  the  time  he  had 
left  the  Circle  Bar  he  drew  up  in  front  of  the 
Kicker  office  in  Dry  Bottom,  dismounted,  and 
bounded  to  the  door.  It  was  locked.  He 
placed  a  shoulder  against  it  and  crashed  it  in, 
springing  inside  and  lighting  a  match.  He 
smiled  grimly  when  he  saw  no  signs  of  Hollis; 
when  he  saw  that  the  interior  was  in  an  orderly 
condition  and  that  there  were  no  signs  of  a  con 
flict.  If  Ten  Spot  had  killed  Hollis  he  had 
done  the  deed  outside  the  Kicker  office. 

Norton  came  out  again,  pulling  the  wreck  of 
the  door  after  him  and  closing  it  as  well  as  he 
could.  Then,  leaving  his  pony,  he  strode  toward 
the  Fashion  saloon.  As  he  came  near  he  heard 
sounds  of  revelry  issuing  from  the  open  door 
and  he  smiled  coldly.  A  flashing  glance 
through  the  window  showed  him  that  Ten  Spot 


PICKING   UP.   THE    TRAIL!      165 

was  there,  standing  at  the  bar.  In  the  next  in 
stant  Norton  was  inside,  confronting  Ten  Spot, 
his  big  six-shooter  out  and  shoved  viciously 
against  Ten  Spot's  stomach. 

"  What  have  you  done  with  Hollis,  you 
mangy  son-of-a-gun? "  he  demanded. 

Several  men  who  had  been  standing  at  the 
bar  talking  and  laughing  fell  silent  and  looked 
at  the  two  men,  the  barkeeper  sidled  closer, 
crouching  warily,  for  he  knew  Norton. 

Ten  Spot  had  spread  his  arms  out  on  the  bar 
and  was  leaning  against  it,  looking  at  Norton  in 
unfeigned  bewilderment.  He  did  not  speak  at 
once.  Then  suddenly  aware  of  the  foreboding, 
savage  gleam  in  Norton's  eyes,  a  glint  of  grim 
humor  came  into  his  own  and  his  lips  opened  a 
little,  curling  sarcastically. 

"  Why,"  he  said,  looking  at  Norton,  "  I  don't 
reckon  to  be  anyone's  keeper."  He  smiled 
widely,  with  a  suddenly  ludicrous  expression. 
"  If  you're  talkin'  about  that  tenderfoot  noos- 
paper  guy,  he  don't  need  no  keeper.  What 
have  I  done  to  him? "  he  repeated,  his  smile 
growing.  '  Why,  I  reckon  I  didn't  do  a  heap. 
I  went  down  to  call  on  him.  He  was  right  soci 
able.  I  was  goin'  to  be  mean  to  him,  but  I  just 
couldn't.  When  he  left  he  was  sayin'  that  he'd 
be  right  glad  to  see  me  again — he'd  been  right 


166    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

playful  durin'  my  talk  with  him.  I  reckon  by 
now  he's  over  at  the  Circle  Bar  laffin'  hisself  to 
sleep  over  the  mean  way  I  treated  him.  You 
just  ast  him  when  you  see  him." 

A  flicker  of  doubt  came  into  Norton's  eyes — 
Ten  Spot's  words  had  the  ring  of  truth. 

*  You  went  down  there  to  shoot  him! n  he  said 
coldly,  still  unconvinced. 

"  Mebbe  I  did,"  returned  Ten  Spot.  "  How- 
somever,  I  didn't.  I  ain't  tellin'  how  I  come  to 
change  my  mind — that's  my  business,  an*  you 
can't  shoot  it  out  of  me.  But  I'm  tellin'  you 
this :  me  an'  that  guy  has  agreed  to  call  it  quits, 
an'  if  I  hear  any  man  talkin'  extravagant  about 
him,  me  an'  that  man's  goin'  to  have  a  run  in 
mighty  sudden!"  He  laughed.  "Someone's 
been  funnin'  you,"  he  said.  "  When  he  handed 
me  back  my  gun  after  sluggin' " 

But  he  was  now  talking  to  Norton's  back,  for 
the  range  boss  was  at  the  door,  striding  rapidly 
toward  his  pony.  He  mounted  again  and  rode 
out  on  the  trail,  proceeding  slowly,  convinced 
that  something  had  happened  to  Hollis  after  he 
had  left  Dry  Bottom.  It  was  more  than  likely 
that  he  had  lost  his  way  in  the  storm,  and  in  that 
case  he  would  probably  arrive  at  the  Circle  Bar 
over  some  round-about  trail.  He  was  now  cer 
tain  that  he  had  not  been  molested  in  town;  if 


PICKING   UP   THE    TRAIL      167 

he  had  been  some  of  the  men  in  the  Fashion 
would  have  told  him  about  it.  Hollis  would 
probably  be  at  the  ranch  by  the  time  he  arrived, 
to  laugh  at  his  fears.  Nevertheless  he  rode 
slowly,  watching  the  trail  carefully,  searching 
the  little  gullies  and  peering  into  every  shadow 
for  fear  that  Hollis  had  been  injured  in  some  ac 
cident  and  might  be  lying  near  unable  to  make 
his  presence  known. 

The  dawn  was  just  showing  above  the  horizon 
when  he  rode  up  to  the  ranchhouse  to  find  Potter 
standing  on  the  porch — apparently  not  having 
left  there  during  his  absence.  Beside  Potter 
stood  Ed  Hazelton,  and  near  the  latter  a  droop 
ing  pony,  showing  signs  of  hard  riding. 

Norton  passed  the  corral  gate  and  rode  up  to 
the  two  men.  A  glance  at  their  faces  told  him 
that  something  had  gone  wrong.  But  before  he 
could  speak  the  question  that  had  formed  on  his 
lips  Hazelton  spoke. 

"  They  got  him,  Norton,"  he  said  slowly. 

"Dead?"  queried  Norton  sharply,  his  lips 
straightening. 

"No,"  returned  Hazelton  gloomily;  "he 
ain't  dead.  But  when  I  found  him  he  wasn't 
far  from  it.  Herd-rode  him,  the  damned 
sneaks!  Beat  him  up  so's  his  own  mother 
wouldn't  know  him! " 


168    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

"  Wait !  "  commanded  Norton.  "  I'm  going 
with  you.  I  suppose  you've  got  him  over  to 
your  shack?"  He  caught  Hazelton's  nod  and 
issued  an  order  to  Potter.  "  Go  down  to  the 
bunkhouse  and  get  Weary  out.  Tell  him  to  hit 
the  breeze  to  Cimarron  for  the  doctor.  If  the 
doc'  don't  want  to  come  drag  him  by  the  ears !  " 

He  spurred  his  pony  furiously  to  the  corral 
gate  and  in  a  short  time  had  saddled  another 
horse  and  was  back  where  Hazelton  was  await 
ing  him.  Without  speaking  a  word  to  each 
other  the  two  men  rode  rapidly  down  the  Coyote 
trail,  while  Potter,  following  directions,  his  face 
haggard  and  drawn  from  loss  of  sleep  and 
worry,  hurried  to  the  bunkhouse  to  arouse 
Weary  and  send  him  on  his  long  journey  to 
Cimarron. 


CHAPTER   XII 

AFTER  THE  STORM 

HOLLIS'S  tall  figure  lay  pitifully  slack 
on  a  bed  in  the  Hazelton  cabin.  Nellie 
Hazelton  had  given  him  what  care  she 
could  out  of  her  limited  knowledge  and  now 
nothing  more  could  be  done  until  the  arrival  of 
the  Cimarron  doctor.  Swathed  in  bandages,  his 
clothing  torn  and  soiled — as  though  after  beat 
ing  him  his  assailants  had  dragged  him  through 
the  mud — one  hand  queetly  twisted,  his  face 
swollen,  his  whole  great  body  looking  as  though 
it  had  received  the  maximum  of  injury,  Hollis 
moved  restlessly  on  the  bed,  his  head  rolling 
oddly  from  side  to  side,  incoherent  words  issuing 
from  between  his  bruised  and  swollen  lips. 

Norton  stood  beside  the  bed,  looking  down  at 
the  injured  man  with  a  grim,  savage  pity. 

''  The  damned  cowards!"  he  said,  his  voice 
quivering.  "  There  must  have  been  a  dozen  of 
them — to  do  him  up  like  that !  " 

"  Seven,"  returned  Ed  Hazelton  grimly. 
ic  They  left  their  trail  there;  I  counted  the  hoof 

169 


170    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

prints,  an*  they  led  down  the  slope  toward  Big 
Elk  crossin'."  He  looked  at  Norton  with  a 
frown.  '  We  can't  do  anything  here,"  he  said 
shortly,  "  until  the  doctor  comes.  I'll  take  you 
down  where  I  found  him." 

They  went  out  and  mounted  their  ponies. 
Down  the  trail  a  mile  or  so  they  came  to  a  level 
that  led  away  toward  Rabbit-Ear  Creek.  From 
the  level  they  could  see  the  Circle  Cross  build 
ings,  scattered  over  a  small  stretch  of  plain  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  There  was  no  life 
around  them,  no  movement.  Norton  grimaced 
toward  them. 

Hazelton  halted  his  pony  in  some  tall  grass 
near  a  bare,  sandy  spot  on  the  plains.  The 
grass  here  grew  only  in  patches  and  Norton 
could  plainly  see  a  number  of  hoof  prints  in  the 
sand.  One  single  set  led  away  across  the  plains 
toward  the  Dry  Bottom  trail.  Seeing  the  know 
ing  expression  in  Norton's  eyes,  Hazelton  spoke 
quietly. 

"  That's  Hollis's  trail.  He  must  have  took 
the  Dry  Bottom  trail  an'  lost  it  in  the  storm. 
Potter  says  he  would  probably  take  it  because 
it's  shorter.  Anyways,  it's  his  trail;  I  followed 
it  back  into  the  hills  until  I  was  sure.  I  saw 
that  he  had  been  comin'  from  Dry  Bottom.  He 
lost  his  way  an'  rode  over  here.  I  remember 


AFTER    THE   STORM  171 

there  was  an  awful  darkness,  for  I  was  out 
scoutin'  around  to  see  if  my  stock  was  all  right. 
Well,  he  got  this  far — rode  right  up  to  the  edge 
of  the  butte  over  there  an'  then  come  back  this 
way.  Then  he  met — well,  the  men  that  did  it." 

"  They  all  stood  there  for  a  little  while;  you 
can  see  where  their  horses  pawed.  Then  mebbe 
they  started  somethin',  for  you  can  see  where 
Hollis's  pony  throwed  up  a  lot  of  sand,  tryin'  to 
break  out.  The  others  were  in  a  circle — you  can 
see  that.  I've  figured  it  out  that  Hollis  saw 
there  wasn't  any  chance  for  him  against  so  many 
an'  he  tried  to  hit  the  breeze  away  from  here. 
I'll  show  you." 

They  followed  the  hoof  prints  down  the  slope 
and  saw  that  all  the  riders  must  have  been  travel 
ing  fast  at  this  point,  for  the  earth  was  cut  and 
the  hoof  prints  bunched  fore  and  aft.  They 
ran  only  a  little  way,  however.  About  a  hun 
dred  yards  down  the  slope,  in  a  stretch  of  bare, 
sandy  soil,  the  horses  had  evidently  come  to  a 
halt  again,  for  they  were  bunched  well  together 
and  there  were  many  of  them,  showing  that  there 
had  been  some  movement  after  the  halt. 

Norton  dismounted  and  examined  the  sur 
rounding  soil. 

"  They  all  got  off  here,"  he  said  shortly,  after 
the  examination ;  "  there's  the  prints  of  their 


172     THE   COMING   OF  THE   LAW 

boots.  They  caught  him  here  and  handed  it  to 
him." 

Hazelton  silently  pointed  to  a  queer  track  in 
the  sand — a  shallow  groove  running  about  fifty 
feet,  looking  as  though  some  heavy  object  had 
been  drawn  over  it.  Norton's  face  whitened. 

"Drug  him! "  he  said  grimly,  his  lips  in  two 
straight  lines.  "It's  likely  they  roped  him!" 
He  remounted  his  pony  and  sat  in  the  saddle, 
watching  Hazelton  as  the  latter  continued  his 
examination.  ''  They're  a  fine,  nervy  bunch !  " 
he  sneered  as  Hazelton  also  climbed  into  his  sad 
dle.  '  They  must  have  piled  onto  him  like  a 
pack  of  wolves.  If  they'd  have  come  one  at  a 
time  he'd  have  cleaned  them  up  proper ! " 

They  rode  away  down  the  trail  toward  the 
cabin.  Norton  went  in  and  looked  again  at 
Hollis,  and  then,  telling  Hazelton  that  he  would 
return  in  the  afternoon,  he  departed  for  the 
Circle  Bar.  He  stopped  at  the  ranchhouse  and 
communicated  the  news  to  his  wife  and  Potter 
and  then  rode  on  up  the  river  to  a  point  about 
ten  miles  from  the  ranchhouse — where  the  outfit 
was  working. 

The  men  received  his  news  with  expressions  of 
rage  and  vengeance.  They  had  come  to  admire 
Hollis  for  his  courage  in  electing  to  continue  the 
fight  against  Dunlavey;  they  had  seen  that  in 


AFTER   THE    STORM  173 

spite  of  his  ignorance  of  the  customs  of  their 
world  he  possessed  a  goodly  store  of  common 
sense  and  an  indomitable  spirit.  Yet  none  of 
them  expressed  sympathy,  though  their  faces 
showed  that  they  felt  it.  Expressions  of  sym 
pathy  in  a  case  such  as  this  would  have  been 
unnecessary  and  futile.  But  their  expressions 
of  rage  showed  how  the  news  had  affected  them. 
Though  they  knew  that  Dunlavey's  forces  out 
numbered  their  own  they  were  for  striking  back 
immediately.  But  Norton  discouraged  this. 

'  We're  layin'  low  for  a  while,"  he  said. 
"  Mebbe  the  boss  will  get  well.  If  he  does  he'll 
make  things  mighty  interestin'  for  Dunlavey — 
likely  he'll  remember  who  was  in  the  crowd  which 

beat  him  up.     If  he  dies "     His  eyes  flashed 

savagely.  "  Well,  if  he  dies  you  boys  can  go  as 
far  as  you  like  an'  I'll  go  with  you  without  doin' 
any  kickin'." 

"  What's  goin'  to  be  done  with  that  noospaper 
of  his'n?"  inquired  Ace.  "You  reckon  she'll 
miss  fire  till  he's  well  again?  " 

Norton's  brows  wrinkled ;  he  had  not  thought 
of  the  newspaper.  But  he  realized  now  that  if 
the  paper  failed  to  appear  on  scheduled  time 
the  people  in  Union  County  would  think  that 
Hollis  had  surrendered;  they  would  refuse  to 
believe  that  he  had  been  so  badly  injured  that  he 


174    THE   COMING  OF  THE  LAW 

could  not  issue  the  paper,  and  Dunlavey  would 
be  careful  to  circulate  some  sort  of  a  story  to  en 
courage  this  view.  Now  that  Ace  had  brought 
the  matter  to  his  attention  he  began  to  suspect 
that  this  had  been  the  reason  of  the  attack  on 
Hollis.  That  they  had  not  killed  him  when  they 
had  the  opportunity,  showed  that  they  must  have 
had  some  purpose  other  than  that  of  merely  de 
siring  to  get  him  out  of  the  way.  That  they 
had  merely  beaten  him  showed  that  their  wish 
was  only  to  incapacitate  him  temporarily.  Nor 
ton's  eyes  flashed  with  a  sudden  determination. 

"  I  don't  reckon  that  the  Kicker  will  miss  fire," 
he  declared;  "  not  if  I  have  to  go  to  Dry  Bottom 
an'  get  her  out  myself!  " 

Ace  eyed  him  furtively  and  now  spoke  with 
an  embarrassed  self -consciousness. 

"  I've  been  considerin'  this  here  situation  ever 
since  you  told  us  about  the  boss,"  he  said  diffi 
dently,  "  an'  if  you're  goin'  to  get  that  paper 
out,  a  little  poem  or  two  might  help  out  consider 
able." 

"  Meanin'  ? "  interrogated  Norton,  his  eye 
lashes  flickering. 

Ace's  face  reddened  painfully.  "  Meanin' 
that  I've  got  several  little  pieces  which  I've  wrote 
when  I  didn't  have  anything  else  to  do  an'  that 
I'd  be  right  willin'  to  have  them  put  into  the 


AFTER   THE   STORM  175 

Kicker  to  help  fill  her  up.  Some  of  the  boys 
think  they're  right  classy.'* 

Norton  looked  around  at  the  other  men  for 
confirmation  of  the  truth  of  this  modest  state 
ment.  He  caught  Lanky's  glance. 

"  I  reckon  that's  about  right,"  said  that  sober- 
faced  puncher ;  "  Ace  is  the  pote  lariat  of  this 
here  outfit,  an'  he  sure  has  got  a  lot  of  right 
clever  lines  in  his  pomes.  I've  read  them  which 
wasn't  one-two-three  with  his'n." 

Norton  smiled,  a  little  cynically.  He  wasn't 
quite  sure  about  it,  he  said,  but  if  Ace  could 
write  poetry  he  hadn't  any  doubt  that  during  the 
next  few  weeks  there  would  be  plenty  of  oppor 
tunity  to  print  some  of  it  in  the  Kicker.  He 
smiled  when  he  saw  Ace's  face  brighten.  But 
he  told  him  he  would  have  to  see  Hollis — if  the 
latter  got  well  enough  to  endure  an  interview. 
If  the  boss  recovered  enough  to  be  able  to  look 
at  Ace's  poetry  before  it  was  printed,  why  of 
course  it  would  have  to  be  shown  him.  He 
didn't  want  anything  to  go  into  the  Kicker  which 
the  boss  wouldn't  like.  But  if  he  wasn't  able  to 
look  at  it,  why  he  would  leave  the  decision  to 
Potter,  and  if  it  suited  the  latter  he  would  be 
satisfied.  He  would  keep  the  boys  posted  on 
the  boss's  condition.  Then  he  rode  away  toward 
the  ranchhouse. 


176    THE  COMING  OF  THE  LAW 

Late  in  the  afternoon  he  again  visited  the 
Hazelton  cabin.  He  found  the  Cimarron  doc 
tor  already  there.  Hollis  was  still  unconscious, 
though  resting  easier.  The  doctor  declared  that 
he  would  remain  with  him  throughout  the  night. 
He  followed  Norton  out  on  to  the  porch  and  told 
him  that  at  present  he  could  not  tell  just  how 
serious  Hollis's  injuries  were.  There  was  a 
great  wound  in  his  head  which  he  feared  might 
turn  out  seriously,  but  if  not,  Hollis  would  re 
cover  quickly  and  be  as  good  as  ever  within  a 
few  weeks — except  for  his  left  wrist — which  was 
broken.  He  praised  Nellie  Hazelton  for  the 
care  she  was  giving  the  injured  man.  Con 
vinced  that  there  was  nothing  more  to  be  done, 
Norton  returned  to  the  Circle  Bar  to  give  his 
attention  to  his  work. 


CHAPTER   XIII 


"WOMAN — SHE  DON'T  NEED  NO  IOOTEB" 


THE  Cimarron  doctor's  fears  for  the  wound 
on  Hollis's  head  had  proved  unfounded 
and  on  the  tenth  day  after  his  experience 
on  the  night  of  the  storm,  Hollis  was  sitting  on  the 
Hazelton  porch,  his  head  still  swathed  in  band 
ages,  his  left  wrist  in  a  splint,  but  his  spirit  still 
untouched.  The  marks  on  his  face  had  all  dis 
appeared,  except  an  ugly  gash  under  his  right 
eye — which  still  showed  a  slight  discoloration — 
and  a  smaller  cut  on  the  chin.  The  Cimarron 
doctor  had  told  him  that  the  wound  under  his 
eye  would  leave  a  permanent  scar — the  wound 
had  been  deep  and  in  spite  of  the  doctor's  care, 
had  drawn  together  queerly,  affecting  the  eye  it 
self  and  giving  it  an  odd  expression.  Many 
times  since  becoming  able  to  move  about  had 
Hollis  looked  at  his  face  in  his  mirror,  and  each 
time  there  had  come  into  his  eyes  an  expression 
that  boded  ill  for  the  men  who  had  been  con 
cerned  in  the  attack  on  him. 

177 


178    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

It  was  mid-afternoon  and  the  sun  was  coming 
slant-wise  over  the  roof  of  the  cabin,  creating  a 
welcome  shade  on  the  porch.  Ed  Hazelton  had 
been  gone  since  morning,  looking  after  his  cattle, 
and  Nellie  was  in  the  house,  busily  at  work  in  the 
kitchen — Hollis  could  hear  her  as  she  stepped 
about  the  room. 

Norton  had  left  the  cabin  an  hour  before  and 
a  little  later  Potter  had  stopped  in  on  his  way 
over  to  Dry  Bottom  to  set  up  an  article  that  he 
had  written  at  Hollis's  dictation.  Hollis  had 
told  Norton  of  his  experiences  on  the  night  of 
the  storm. 

After  the  flash  of  lightning  had  revealed  Dun- 
lavey  and  his  men,  Hollis  had  attempted  to  es 
cape,  knowing  that  Dunlavey's  intentions  could 
not  be  peaceable,  and  that  he  would  have  no 
chance  in  a  fight  with  several  men.  He  had 
urged  his  pony  toward  the  two  buttes  that  he 
had  seen  during  the  lightning  flash,  making  a 
circuit  in  order  to  evade  his  enemies.  He  might 
have  succeeded,  but  unfortunately  the  darkness 
had  lifted  and  they  had  been  able  to  intercept 
him.  He  could  give  no  clear  account  of  what 
had  happened  after  they  had  surrounded  him. 
There  had  been  no  words  spoken.  He  had  tried 
to  break  out  of  the  circle;  had  almost  succeeded 
when  a  loop  settled  over  his  shoulders  and  he 


"DON'T  NEED  NO  TOOTER"    179 

was  dragged  from  his  pony — dragged  quite  a 
distance. 

The  fall  had  hurt  him,  but  when  the  rope  had 
slackened  he  had  regained  his  feet — to  see  that 
all  the  men  had  surrounded  him.  One  man 
struck  at  him  and  he  had  immediately  struck 
back,  knocking  the  man  down.  After  that  the 
blows  came  thick  and  fast.  He  hit  several  more 
faces  that  were  close  to  him  and  at  one  time  was 
certain  he  had  put  three  of  his  assailants  out  of 
the  fight.  But  the  others  had  crowded  him 
close.  He  fought  them  as  well  as  he  could  with 
the  great  odds  against  him,  and  once  was  in 
spired  with  a  hope  that  he  might  escape.  Then 
had  come  a  heavy  blow  on  the  head — he  thought 
that  one  of  the  men  had  used  the  butt  of  a  re 
volver.  He  could  dimly  remember  receiving  a 
number  of  other  blows  and  then  he  knew  nothing 
more  until  he  had  awakened  in  the  Hazelton 
cabin.  <*• 

Hollis's  opinion  of  Dunlavey's  motive  in  thus 
attacking  him  coincided  with  Norton's.  They 
might  easily  have  killed  him.  That  they  did  not 
showed  that  they  must  have  some  peculiar  mo 
tive.  Aside  from  a  perfectly  natural  desire  on 
Dunlavey's  part  to  deal  to  Hollis  the  same  sort 
of  punishment  that  Hollis  had  inflicted  on  Dun- 
lavey  on  the  occasion  of  their  first  meeting,  the 


180    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

latter  could  have  no  motive  other  than  that  of 
preventing  the  appearance  of  the  Kicker  on  its 
regular  publication  day. 

Hollis  was  convinced  that  Dunlavey  had  been 
inspired  by  both  motives.  But  though  Dun 
lavey  had  secured  his  revenge  for  the  blow  that 
Hollis  had  struck  him  in  Dry  Bottom,  Hollis 
did  not  purpose  to  allow  him  to  prevent  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  Kicker.  It  had  been  impossible 
for  him  to  make  the  trip  to  Dry  Bottom,  but  he 
had  summoned  Potter  and  had  dictated  consid 
erable  copy,  Potter  had  written  some,  and  in  this 
manner  they  had  managed  to  get  the  Kicker  out 
twice. 

Ace  had  not  been  able  to  get  any  of  his  poems 
into  the  Kicker.  He  had  submitted  some  of  them 
to  Potter,  but  the  printer  had  assured  him  that  he 
did  not  care  to  assume  the  responsibility  of  pub 
lishing  them.  Thereupon  Ace  had  importuned 
Norton  to  intercede  with  Hollis  on  his  behalf. 
On  his  visit  this  morning  Norton  had  brought 
the  matter  to  Hollis's  attention.  The  latter  had 
assured  the  range  boss  that  he  appreciated  the 
puncher's  interest  and  would  be  glad  to  go  over 
some  of  his  poems.  Therefore  Hollis  was  not 
surprised  when  in  the  afternoon  he  saw  Ace  lop 
ing  his  pony  down  the  Coyote  trail  toward  the 
Hazelton  cabin. 


"DON'T  NEED  NO  TOOTER"    181 

Ace's  approach  was  diffident,  though  ambi 
tion  urged  him-  on.  He  rode  up  to  the  edge  of 
the  porch,  dismounted,  and  greeted  his  boss  with 
an  earnestness  that  contrasted  oddly  with  his 
embarrassment.  He  took  the  chair  that  Hollis 
motioned  him  to,  sitting  on  the  edge  of  it  and 
shifting  nervously  under  Hollis's  direct  gaze. 

"  I  reckon  Norton  told  you  about  my  poems," 
he  began.  He  caught  Hollis's  nod  and  con 
tinued  :  "  Well,  I  got  a  bunch  of  'em  here 
which  I  brung  over  to  show  you.  Folks  back 
home  used  to  say  that  I  was  a  genyus.  But  I 
reckon  mebbe  they  was  hittin'  her  up  a  little  bit 
strong,"  he  admitted,  modestly;  "  folks  is  that 
way — they  like  to  spread  it  on  a  bit.  But " — 
and  the  eyes  of  the  genius  flashed  proudly — "  I 
reckon  I've  got  a  little  talyunt,  the  evidence  of 
which  is  right  here ! "  With  rather  more  com 
posure  than  had  marked  his  approach  he  now 
drew  out  a  prodigious  number  of  sheets  of  paper, 
which  he  proceeded  to  spread  out  on  his  knee, 
smoothing  them  lovingly. 

"  Mebbe  I  ain't  much  on  spellin'  an'  grammar 
an'  all  that  sort  of  thing,"  he  oifered,  "but 
there's  a  heap  of  sense  to  be  got  but  of  the  stuff 
I've  wrote.  Take  this  one,  for  instance.  She's 
a  little  oday  to  '  Night,'  which  I  composed  while 
the  boys  was  poundin'  their  ears  one  night — not 


182     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

» 

bein'  affected  in  their  f eelin's  like  I  was.  If  you 
ain't  got  no  objections  I'll  read  her."  And 
then,  not  waiting  to  hear  any  objections,  he  be 
gan: 

The  stars  are  bright  to-night; 
They  surely  are  a  sight, 

Sendin*  their  flickerin'  light 
From  an  awful,  unknown  height. 

Why  do  they  shine  so  bright? 
I'm  most  o'ercome  with  fright 


"  Of  course  I  reely  wasn't  scared,"  he  offered 
with  a  deprecatory  smile,  "  but  there  wasn't  any 
other  word  that  I  could  think  of  just  then  an'  so 
I  shoved  her  in.  It  rhymes  anyhow  an'  just 
about  says  what  I  wanted." 

He  resumed: 

When  I  look  up  into  the  night, 
An'  see  their  flickerin'  light. 

He  ceased  and  looked  at  Hollis  with  an 
abashed  smile.  "  It  don't  seem  to  sound  so  good 
when  I'm  readin'  her  out  loud,"  he  apologized. 
"  An'  I've  thought  that  mebbe  I've  worked  that 
'  night '  an'  '  light '  rhyme  over-time.  But  of 
course  I've  got '  fright '  an' '  sight '  an'  '  height ' 
in  there  to  kind  of  off -set  that."  He  squirmed 


"DON'T  NEED  NO  TOOTER"    183 

in  his  chair.  "  You  take  her  an'  read  her."  He 
passed  the  papers  over  to  Hollis  and  rose  from 
his  chair.  "  I'll  be  goin'  back  to  the  outfit;  Nor 
ton  was  sayin'  that  he  wanted  me  to  look  up 
some  strays  an'  I  don't  want  him  to  be  waitin* 
for  me.  But  I'd  like  to  have  one  of  them  pomes 
printed  in  the  Kicker — just  to  show  the  folks  in 
this  here  country  that  there's  a  real  pote  in  their 
midst." 

"  Why "  began  Hollis,  about  to  express 

his  surprise  over  his  guest's  sudden  determina 
tion  to  depart.  But  he  saw  Nellie  Hazelton 
standing  just  outside  the  door,  and  the  cause  of 
Ace's  projected  departure  was  no  longer  a 
mystery.  He  had  gone  before  Hollis  could  have 
finished  his  remonstrance,  and  was  fast  disap 
pearing  in  a  cloud  of  dust  down  the  trail  when 
Hollis  turned  slowly  to  see  Nellie  Hazelton  smil 
ing  broadly. 

"  I  just  couldn't  resist  coming  out,"  she  said. 
"  It  rather  startled  me  to  discover  that  there  was 
a  real  poet  in  the  country." 

"  There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  of  it,"  returned 
Hollis  with  a  smile.  But  he  immediately  be 
came  serious.  "  Ace  means  well,"  he  added. 
"  I  imagine  that  it  wasn't  entirely  an  ambition  to 
rush  into  print  that  moved  him  to  submit  his 
poems ;  he  wants  to  help  fill  up  the  paper." 


184     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

Miss  Hazelton  laughed.  "  I  really  think," 
she  said,  looking  after  the  departing  poet,  "  that 
he  might  have  been  fibbing  a  little  when  he  said 
that  the  '  night '  had  not  '  scared  '  him.  He  ran 
from  me,"  she  added,  amusement  shining  in  her 
eyes,  "  and  I  should  not  like  to  think  that  any 
woman  could  appear  so  forbidding  and  myste 
rious  as  the  darkness." 

Hollis  had  been  scanning  one  of  the  poems  in 
his  hand.  He  smiled  whimsically  at  Miss  Hazel- 
ton  as  she  concluded. 

"  Here  is  Ace's  opinion  on  that  subject,"  he 
said.  "  Since  you  have  doubted  him  I  think  it 
only  fair  that  you  should  give  him  a  hearing. 
Won't  you  read  it?  " 

She  came  forward  and  seated  herself  in  the 
chair  that  the  poet  had  vacated,  taking  the  mass 
of  paper  that  Hollis  passed  over  to  her. 

"Shall  I  read  it  aloud?"  she  asked  with  a 
smile  at  him. 

"  I  think  you  had  better  not,"  he  returned;  "  it 
might  prove  embarrassing." 

She  blushed  and  gave  her  attention  to  the 
poem.  It  was  entitled:  "Woman,"  and  ran: 

"  Woman  she  dont  need  no  tooter, 
be  she  skule  mam  or  biscut  shooter. 

she  has  most  curyus  ways  about  her, 
which  leads  a  man  to  kinda  dout  her. 


"DON'T  NEED  NO  TOOTER"    185 

Though  lookin  at  her  is  shure  a  pleasur 
there  aint  no  way  to  get  her  measure 

i  reckon  she  had  man  on  the  run 
a  long  while  before  the  world  begun. 

I  met  a  biscut  shooter  in  the  chance  saloon 
when  i  was  blowin  my  coin  in  ratoon 

while  the  coin  lasted  i  owned  her  an  the  town 
but  when  it  was  gone  she  throwed  me  down. 

An  so  i  say  she  dont  need  no  tooter 
be  she  skule  mam  or  biscut  shooter 

she  fooled  me  an  my  hart  she  stole 
which  has  opened  my  eyes  an  hurt  my  sole." 

Miss  Hazelton  laid  the  manuscript  in  her  lap 
and  laughed  heartily. 

**  What  a  harrowing  experience ! "  she  de 
clared.  Hollis  was  grinning  at  her. 

"  That  was  a  bad  thing  to  have  happen  to  a 
man,"  he  observed ;  "  I  suppose  it  rather  shat 
tered  Ace's  faith  in  woman.  At  least  you  could 
observe  by  his  actions  just  a  moment  ago  that  he 
isn't  taking  any  more  chances." 

She  fixed  him  with  a  defiant  eye.  "But  he 
still  admits  that  he  takes  pleasure  in  looking  at 
a  woman ! "  she  told  him  triumphantly. 

"  So  he  does.  Still,  that  isn't  remarkable. 
You  see,  a  man  couldn't  help  that — no  matter 
how  badly  he  had  been  treated." 

She  had  no  reply  to  make  to  this,  though  she 


186     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

gave  him  a  look  that  he  could  not  mistake.  But 
he  laughed.  "  I  think  Ace's  effort  ought  to  go 
into  the  Kicker"  he  said.  "  I  have  no  doubt 
that  many  who  read  the  poem  will  find  in  it  a 
great  deal  of  truth — perhaps  a  reflection  of  their 
own  personal  experiences." 

Her  face  clouded  and  she  regarded  him  a  little 
soberly.  "Of  your  own,  perhaps?"  she  sug 
gested. 

"  Not  guilty,"  he  returned  laughing.  '  You 
see,  I  have  never  had  any  time  to  devote  to  the 
study  of  women,  let  alone  time  to  allow  them  to 
fool  me.  Perhaps  when  I  do  have  time  to  study 
them  I  may  find  some  truth  in  Ace's  effort." 

"Then  women  do  not  interest  you?"  She 
was  looking  down  the  Coyote  trail. 

'  Well,  no,"  he  said,  thinking  of  the  busy  days 
of  his  past,  and  not  being  aware  of  the  furtive, 
significant  glance  she  threw  toward  him.  "  You 
see,  there  have  always  been  so  many  important 
things  to  engage  my  attention." 

"  How  fortunate! "  she  said  mockingly,  after 
a  pause  during  which  he  had  time  to  realize  that 
he  had  been  very  ungracious.  He  saw  Ace's 
manuscript  flutter  toward  him,  saw  her  rise  and 
heard  the  screen  door  slam  after  her.  During 
the  remainder  of  the  afternoon  he  was  left  alone 
on  the  porch  to  meditate  upon  the  evils  that  arise 
from  thoughtless  speech. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THE  COALITION 

PERHAPS   there  were  some  persons  in 
Union  County  who,  acquainted  with  the 
details  of  the  attack  on  Hollis,  expected 
to  read  an  account  of  it  in  the  Kicker.     If  there 
were  any  such  they  were  disappointed.     There 
was  nothing  about  the  attack  printed  in  the 
Kicker — nor  did  Hollis  talk  to  any  stranger  con 
cerning  it. 

Ace's  poem  entitled  "  Woman  "  had  gone  into 
the  paper,  causing  the  poet — for  many  days  fol 
lowing  the  appearance  of  his  composition — to 
look  upon  his  fellow  punchers  with  a  sort  of  con 
descending  pity.  On  the  second  day  after  his 
discussion  with  Miss  Hazelton  over  Ace's  poem 
Hollis  returned  to  the  Circle  Bar.  He  had  suc 
ceeded  in  convincing  Nellie  that  he  had  answered 
thoughtlessly  when  he  had  informed  her  that  he 
took  no  interest  in  women,  and  though  she  had 
defiantly  assured  him  that  she  had  not  taken  of 
fense,  there  had  been  a  light  in  her  eyes  upon  his 
departure  which  revealed  gratification  over  his 

187 


188     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

repentance.  She  stood  long  on  the  porch  after 
he  had  taken  leave  of  her,  watching  him  as  he 
rode  slowly  down  the  trail  and  disappeared 
around  a  turn.  Then  she  smiled  regretfully, 
sighed,  and  went  into  the  house. 

Hollis's  return  to  the  Circle  Bar  was  un 
ostentatious  and  quite  in  keeping  with  his 
method  of  doing  things.  Within  the  next  few 
days  he  met  several  of  the  Circle  Bar  men  and 
there  were  mutterings  against  Dunlavey,  but 
Hollis  discouraged  action,  assuring  the  mutter- 
ers  that  his  differences  with  Dunlavey  were  en 
tirely  personal  and  that  he  intended  carrying  on 
the  fight  alone. 

His  wounds  mended  rapidly,  and  within  two 
weeks — except  for  the  broken  wrist — he  was  well 
as  ever.  Meanwhile  Potter  had  succeeded  in 
getting  the  Kicker  out  on  time,  though  there 
had  been  a  noticeable  lack  of  aggressiveness  in  the 
articles.  Especially  was  this  true  of  the  articles 
bearing  upon  the  situation  in  Union  County. 
Hollis  had  dictated  some  of  these,  but  even  those 
which  he  had  dictated  had  seemed  to  lack  some 
thing. 

Nothing  had  been  heard  of  Dunlavey — it 
seemed  that  after  the  attack  upon  Hollis  he  had 
withdrawn  from  the  scene  to  await  the  latter's 
next  move, 


THE   COALITION  189 

But  Hollis  was  in  no  hurry;  he  had  lost  some 
of  the  enthusiasm  that  had  marked  his  attitude  in 
the  beginning,  but  this  enthusiasm  had  been  re 
placed  by  determination.  He  was  beginning  to 
realize  that  in  Dunlavey  he  had  met  a  foe  worthy 
of  his  most  serious  efforts.  He  had  determined 
that  there  would  be  no  repetition  of  the  attack 
upon  him,  and  therefore  during  his  convalescence 
he  had  sent  to  Las  Vegas  for  a  repeating  rifle, 
and  this  he  carried  with  him  on  his  trips  to  and 
from  Dry  Bottom. 

Meanwhile  the  drought  continued.  The  sky 
was  cloudless,  the  desultory  breezes  that  swept 
the  plains  blighted  growing  things,  raising  little 
whirlwinds  of  fine,  flinty  alkali  dust  and  spread 
ing  it  over  the  face  of  the  world.  The  storm 
that  had  caught  Hollis  on  the  Dry  Bottom  trail 
had  covered  only  a  comparatively  small  area;  it 
had  lasted  only  a  brief  time  and  after  its  passage 
the  country  was  dry  as  before. 

Rabbit-Ear  Creek  of  all  the  streams  in  the 
vicinity  of  Dry  Bottom  held  water.  From  all 
points  of  the  compass  cattle  drifted  to  the  Rab 
bit-Ear,  slaking  their  thirst  and  refusing  to 
leave.  Bronzed  riders  on  drooping  ponies  trailed 
them,  cutting  them  out,  trying  to  keep  their 
herds  intact,  but  not  succeeding.  Confusion 
reigned.  For  miles  in  both  directions  Rabbit- 


190    THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

Ear  Creek  became  one  huge,  long  watering 
trough.  Temporary  camps  were  made;  chuck 
wagons  rattled  up  to  them,  loaded  with  supplies 
for  the  cowboys,  and  rattled  back  to  distant 
ranches  for  more.  There  had  been  other 
droughts,  but  this  one  was  unexpected — unpre 
cedented.  There  had  always  been  a  little  water 
everywhere.  Now  Rabbit-Ear  Creek  held  all 
there  was. 

Only  the  small  cattle  owners  suffered  because 
of  the  drought.  Riders  told  of  the  presence  of 
plenty  of  water  in  the  Canadian,  the  Cimarron, 
and  the  Ute.  Carrizo  held  some.  In  fact, 
nearly  all  the  streams  held  by  the  large  ranchers 
seemed  to  contain  plenty.  The  smaller  owners, 
whose  herds  were  smaller  and  whose  complement 
of  punchers  was  necessarily  limited,  had  appar 
ently  been  selected  by  Providence  for  ruin. 

There  were  mutterings  against  the  large  own 
ers,  against  Providence.  Particularly  were  there 
mutterings  against  Dunlavey  when  word  came 
to  the  owners  of  the  herds  that  if  the  drought 
was  not  broken  within  the  next  ten  days  the 
Circle  Cross  manager  would  drive  all  foreign 
cattle  from  the  Rabbit-Ear.  He  would  not  al 
low  his  own  herds  to  suffer  to  save  theirs,  he  said. 

On  the  night  following  the  day  upon  which 
the  small  owners  had  received  this  word  from 


THE   COALITION  191 

Dunlavey  a  number  of  the  former  waited  upon 
Hollis.  They  found  him  seated  on  the  lower 
gallery  of  the  ranchhouse  talking  to  Norton  and 
Potter.  Lemuel  Train,  of  the  Pig-pen  outfit, 
had  been  selected  as  their  spokesman.  He  stood 
before  Hollis,  a  big  man,  diffident  in  manner  and 
rough  in  appearance,  surrounded  by  his  fellow 
ranchers,  bronzed,  bearded,  serious  of  face. 
Though  the  sun  had  been  down  three  hours  the 
heat  was  frightful  and  the  visitors  shuffled  their 
feet  and  uncomfortably  wiped  the  perspiration 
from  their  brows. 

"  Sit  down,"  invited  Hollis.  He  rose  and 
stood  while  the  men  draped  themselves  on  the 
edge  of  the  gallery  floor — all  except  the  spokes 
man,  Lemuel  Train.  The  latter  faced  Hollis. 
His  face  was  grim  in  the  dusk. 

"  We've  come  to  see  what  you've  got  to  say 
about  water,"  he  said. 

Days  before  Norton  had  told  Hollis  that  these 
men  who  were  now  herding  at  the  Rabbit-Ear 
were  the  small  ranchers  who  had  refused  to  aid 
the  elder  Hollis  in  his  fight  against  Dunlavey 
some  years  before.  Therefore  Hollis  did  not 
answer  at  once.  When  he  did  his  voice  was  dry 
and  cold.  He  too  had  heard  of  Dunlavey's  ul 
timatum  concerning  the  water. 

"  Before  I  say  anything  on  that  subject  I 


192     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

should  like  to  know  to  whom  I  am  talking,"  he 
said. 

Train  swept  a  ponderous  hand  toward  his  fel 
low  visitors,  pointing  them  out  in  turn.  "  There's 
Truxton,  of  the  Diamond  Dot ;  Holcomb,  of  the 
Star;  Henningson,  of  the  Three  Bar;  Yeager, 
of  the  Three  Diamond;  an'  Clark,  of  the  Circle 
Y." 

"  Correct,"  affirmed  Norton,  behind  Hollis. 

Hollis  smiled  grimly;  he  had  caught  a  bel 
ligerent  note  in  Norton's  voice.  Plainly,  if  the 
range  boss  were  allowed  a  voice  in  the  matter, 
these  visitors  would  have  now  received  as  little 
encouragement  as  they  had  received  from  Dun- 
lavey.  But  Hollis's  smile  showed  that  he  held 
different  views. 

"  I  am  Kent  Hollis,"  he  said  to  the  men ;  "  I 
suppose  you  know  that." 

"  I  reckon  we  know  you,"  said  Train ;  "  you're 
Jim  Hollis's  boy." 

"  Then  you  know  that  Dunlavey  and  my 
father  were  not  exactly  bosom  friends,"  returned 
Hollis. 

Several  heads  bobbed  affirmatively;  others  sat 
grimly  silent.  Hollis  smiled. 

"  How  many  of  you  offered  to  help  my  father 
when  he  came  to  you  asking  for  assistance  in  his 
fight  against  Dunlavey? " 


THE  COALITION 

Train  fidgeted.  "  I  reckon  they  wasn't  muck 
chance "  he  began,  and  then  hesitated,  look 
ing  around  at  his  fellows. 

"Of  course,"  returned  Hollis  quietly,  after 
an  embarrassed  pause,  "  there  wasn't  much 
chance  for  you  to  win  then.  And  you  had  to 
take  a  big  risk  to  help  my  father.  But  he  had 
to  take  a  bigger  risk  to  fight  alone.  Still  he 
fought.  And  he  fought  alone.  He  was  almost 
ruined.  And  now  you  men  are  facing  ruin. 
And  you  have  come  to  Jim  Hollis's  son  to  helpj 
you.  Do  you  think  he  ought?" 

The  men  sat  silent;  the  spokesman  was  with* 
out  words. 

"  How  many  men  can  the  six  of  you  muster—- 
in  case  Dunlavey  should  try  to  carry  out  his  de 
cision  to  drive  your  cattle  from  the  Rabbit-Ear 
— or  shoot  them?  " 

"  Eighteen,  I  reckon,"  returned  Train,  look 
ing  at  the  others,  who  nodded  affirmatively  to  his 
question. 

Hollis  turned  to  Norton.  "  How  many  men 
does  Dunlavey  employ?  "  he  questioned. 

"  Thirty,"  snapped  Norton.  "  But  in  case  he 
needed  them  he  c'n  get  a  hundred." 

"  Big  odds,"  smiled  Hollis.  "  Why  should  I 
volunteer  to  help  you  fight  Dunlavey.  My  cat 
tle  are  certain  of  getting  enough  water.  Why 


194     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

should  I  not  be  selfish,  as  you  men  were  when 
my  father  went  to  you  for  assistance? " 

There  was  no  answer.  The  faces  that  sur 
rounded  Hollis  in  the  semi-darkness  showed 
plainly  that  their  owners  had  given  up  thoughts 
of  assistance.  Grim,  hard  lines  came  into  them ; 
two  or  three  sneered.  Of  course  they  would 
fight  Dunlavey;  there  was  no  alternative,  for 
they  could  not  stand  idly  by  and  see  their  cattle 
slain — Dunlavey  could  not  drive  them  from 
water,  they  would  have  to  be  shot.  They  had 
reckoned  on  securing  help  from  Hollis;  he  held 
one  side  of  the  Rabbit-Ear  and  with  his  support 
they  were  in  a  position  to  make  things  very  un 
pleasant  for  any  of  Dunlavey 's  men  who  might, 
from  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  attempt  to 
shoot  their  cattle.  But  with  Hollis  against  them 
they  would  be  powerless;  with  Hollis  against 
them  Dunlavey's  men  could  swarm  both  sides 
of  the  river  and  the  destruction  of  their  cattle 
would  be  certain. 

All  of  the  men  knew  this.  Yet  they  did  not 
answer  Hollis's  question.  They  had  not  come 
to  plead  with  him;  they  knew  that  the  situation 
had  narrowed  down  to  a  point  where  they  could 
depend  only  on  their  own  resources.  They 
would  not  plead,  yet  as  they  silently  started  to 
file  off  the  gallery  there  were  bitter  smiles  on 


THE   COALITION  195 

several  of  their  faces.  There  were  no  threats; 
perhaps  Hollis  had  succeeded  in  showing  them 
the  similarity  between  his  conduct  and  their  own 
in  the  long  ago,  when  his  father  had  gone  to  them 
for  assistance.  At  least  this  was  what  he  had 
tried  to  show  them. 

Lemuel  Train  was  the  last  man  down  the  gal 
lery.  He  turned  as  he  reached  the  ground  and 
looked  back  over  his  shoulder  at  Hollis. 

"  So-long,"  he  said  shortly.  "  I  reckon 
you're  even  now." 

HoUis  had  not  moved.  "Wait,  Train!"  he 
said.  The  visitors  halted  and  faced  him. 

"  Men,"  he  said  quietly,  "  you  have  not  ans 
wered  my  question.  I  am  going  to  repeat  it: 
Why  should  I  not  be  selfish,  as  you  men  were 
when  my  father  went  to  you  for  assistance?  " 

Lemuel  Train  smiled  ironically.  '  Why,  I 
reckon  it's  your  trick,  mister  man,"  he  said; 
"  you've  got  all  the  cards." 

"  Come  back  here,  men,"  said  Hollis.  "  Since 
none  of  you  care  to  answer  my  question  I  will 
answer  it  myself."  He  stood  silent  while  the 
men  filed  back  and  resumed  seats  on  the  gallery 
edge.  Darkness  had  come  on  while  he  had  been 
talking  to  the  men  and  inside  the  ranchhouse 
Mrs.  Norton  had  lighted  the  kerosene  lamp  and 
its  weak,  flickering  rays  straggled  out  into  the 


darkness  and  upon  Hollis's  face  and  the  faces  of 
several  of  the  men  who  sat  on  the  edge  of  the  gal 
lery. 

Hollis  knew  that  he  might  readily  become 
melodramatic  in  the  few  words  that  he  purposed 
to  say  to  the  men,  and  so  when  he  began  talking 
he  adopted  a  low,  even  tone,  confidential,  serious. 
He  told  them  that  the  things  he  had  written  in 
his  salutatory  in  the  Kicker,  months  before,  had 
been  an  honest  declaration  of  the  principles  in 
which  he  believed.  This  was  America,  he  re 
peated;  they  were  all  Americans;  they  were  all 
entitled  to  that  freedom  of  thought,  speech,  and 
movement  for  which  their  forefathers  had  fought. 
For  one,  he  purposed  to  fight,  if  necessary,  to 
retain  his  rights. 

He  told  them  that  he  held  no  ill-feeling  against 
them  on  account  of  their  refusal  to  assist  his 
father.  That  was  past  history.  But  now  they 
were  to  look  into  the  future;  they  were  all  fac 
ing  ruin  if  they  did  not  combine  in  a  common 
cause.  So  far  as  he  was  concerned  their  cattle 
might  remain  at  the  Rabbit-Ear  until  the 
drought  ended,  or  until  the  stream  went  dry. 
And  if  Dunlavey  fought  them — well,  he  would 
be  with  them  to  the  finish. 

When  he  had  concluded  Lemuel  Train  stepped 
forward  and  shook  his  hand.  The  others  fol- 


THE   COALITION  197 

lowed.  There  was  no  word  spoken.  The  men 
filed  down  from  the  gallery,  sought  their  horses, 
mounted,  and  rode  slowly  away  into  the  darkness. 
When  they  had  gone  Hollis  turned  to  resume  his 
chair,  but  found  Norton  standing  near  him,  look 
ing  at  him  with  a  curious  smile. 

"  Shake !  "  said  the  latter.     "  I  knowed  you'd 
do  it  that  way!" 


CHAPTER   XV 

TO  SUPPORT  THE  LAW 

HOLLIS  alone,  of  all  the  men  whose  cat 
tle  grazed  on  the  Circle  Bar  side  of  the 
Rabbit-Ear,  really  doubted  that  Dun- 
lavey  would  have  the  courage  to  inaugurate  a 
war  against  the  small  owners.  Lemuel  Train 
was  particularly  strong  in  his  belief  that  Dun- 
lavey  would  not  hesitate  to  shoot  whatever  cattle 
infringed  on  what  he  considered  were  his  rights. 
"  I  know  the  skunk ! "  he  declared  heatedly  to 
Hollis  a  day  or  two  after  the  conversation  on 
the  porch  at  the  Circle  Bar.  "  He'll  do  it.  I'm 
only  scared  that  he  won't  wait  till  the  tenth  day 
before  beginnin*.  Why  in  hell  don't  it  rain  ?  " 
This  remained  the  great,  universal  interroga 
tion.  But  at  the  end  of  a  week  it  was  unans 
wered.  The  sun  swam  in  its  endless  circles,  a 
great  ball  of  molten  silver  at  which  no  man  could 
look  with  the  naked  eye,  traveling  its  slow  way 
through  a  blurred,  white  sky,  sinking  to  the  hori 
zon  in  the  evening  and  leaving  a  scorched,  blasted, 

198 


TO   SUPPORT   THE   LAW       199 

gasping  country  behind.  The  nights  brought 
no  relief.  Clark,  of  the  Circle  Y,  sarcastically 
declared  it  to  be  his  belief  that  some  meddler  in 
things  firmamental  was  paying  the  owner  of  the 
sun  to  work  it  overtime. 

Hollis's  daily  twenty  mile  ride  from  the  Circle 
Bar  to  Dry  Bottom  and  return  became  a  trial 
to  him.  At  night,  when  he  returned  from  the 
trip,  hot,  dry,  dusty,  he  would  draw  a  chair  out 
on  the  gallery  floor  and  scan  the  sky  for  signs 
of  rain.  To  his  recollection  since  his  adventure 
on  the  night  of  the  storm  there  had  not  been  a 
cloud  in  the  sky.  On  the  trails  the  dust  was 
inches  deep  and  light  as  a  feather.  It  rose  in 
stifling  whirlwinds,  filling  the  nostrils  and  the 
lungs,  parching  the  tongues  of  man  and  beast 
and  accentuating  the  suffering  caused  by  lack  of 
water. 

All  the  pleasure  had  been  drawn  from  Hollis's 
rides  because  of  the  dryness  and  heat.  On  a 
morning  a  week  following  the  day  upon  which 
Dunlavey  had  issued  his  warning  to  the  cattle 
owners,  Hollis  made  his  usual  trip  to  Dry  Bot 
tom.  Norton  accompanied  him,  intending  to 
make  some  purchases  in  town.  They  rode  the 
ten  miles  without  incident  and  Hollis  left  Norton 
at  the  door  of  the  Kicker  office,  after  telling  the 
range  boss  to  come  back  to  the  office  when  he  had 


200    THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

made  his  purchases  as  he  intended  returning  to 
the  Circle  Bar  before  noon.  Hollis  found  Pot 
ter  inside.  The  latter  had  remained  in  Dry  Bot 
tom  over  night  and  was  busy  at  a  type  case  when 
his  chief  entered.  Hollis  did  not  remain  long  in 
the  office.  He  looked  over  some  letters  that 
Potter  had  placed  on  his  desk,  placed  one  in  a 
pocket  and  rose,  telling  Potter  that  he  would  be 
back  and  instructing  him  to  tell  Norton  to  await 
his  coming  should  the  latter  return  before  him. 
Then  he  went  down  to  the  court  house. 

He  found  the  door  of  Judge  Graney's  court 
room  slightly  ajar  and  without  knocking  he 
pushed  it  open  and  entered.  On  the  threshold 
he  halted  and  drew  a  deep  breath.  Judge  Graney 
was  seated  at  the  big  table,  and  directly  opposite 
him,  leaning  heavily  on  his  elbows,  his  face  in 
flamed  with  anger,  sat  Dunlavey.  Near  a  win 
dow  at  the  side  of  the  room  stood  a  grave  faced 
man  of  medium  height,  slender  and  muscular, 
who  was  watching  the  Judge  and  Dunlavey 
soberly. 

At  Hollis's  sudden  appearance  the  Judge 
looked  up  and  smiled,  while  Dunlavey  faced 
around,  a  derisive,  mocking  grin  on  his  face. 
Hollis  bore  no  marks  of  the  recent  attack  beyond 
the  left  wrist,  still  in  splints. 

"  Come  in,"  invited  Judge  Graney,  his  smile 


TO   SUPPORT   THE  LAW      201 

growing,  his  eyes  glinting  oddly.  "  I  think, 
since  you  are  responsible  for  the  startling  inno 
vation  which  we  have  been  discussing,  that  you 
are  entitled  to  a  word." 

He  gravely  waved  Hollis  to  a  chair  and  stood 
silent  while  the  latter  sank  into  it.  Then  he 
smiled,  glancing  furtively  at  Dunlavey  and  ad 
dressing  Hollis. 

"  Perhaps  you  will  remember  that  some  time 
ago  you  printed  an  article  in  the  Kicker  urging 
upon  the  Government  the  necessity  of  bringing 
the  law  into  Union  County?" 

Hollis  nodded.  "Yes,"  he  said  quietly;  "I 
remember." 

"  Well,"  resumed  the  Judge,  '*  the  article  has 
borne  fruit.  But  perhaps  not  in  the  manner  you 
expected."  He  laughed  around  at  the  three, 
deliberately  closing  an  eye  at  Hollis.  '  You 
know,"  he  resumed,  addressing  them  all,  his  eyes 
twinkling  as  his  gaze  met  Dunlavey's,  "  that  the 
law  is  an  expensive  institution.  It  is  a  funda 
mental  principle — at  least  of  some  governments," 
he  smiled — "  that  a  community  that  desires  the 
law  must  pay,  and  pay  dearly — for  it.  In  short, 
if  it  wants  the  law  it  must  pay  taxes.  I  do  not 
say  that  that  is  a  principle  which  our  government 
is  applying,  but  I  do  say  that  it  is  an  eminently 
fair  proposition. 


202     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

"  At  all  events  I  have  received  word  from  the 
Interior  Department  that  if  we  want  the  law  to 
come  out  here  we  must  pay  for  it.  That  is  not 
said  in  so  many  words,  but  that  is  the  inference, 
if  we  are  to  consider  the  instructions  of  the  Sec 
retary  of  the  Interior — which  are :  *  I  am  in 
formed  that  several  large  ranch  owners  in  Union 
County  are  inclined  to  evade  taxation.  Espec 
ially  is  this  true — I  am  told — of  a  man  named 
Dunlavey,  who,  if  the  report  is  correct,  paid, 
during  the  last  half  year,  taxes  on  five  hundred 
head  of  cattle,  whereas  it  is  claimed  that  his 
holdings  will  amount  to  about  five  thousand, 
yearly  average.  In  view  of  this  ridiculously  low 
return  it  seems  incumbent  upon  me  to  appoint 
an  inquisitor,  whose  duty ' ' 

Dunlavey  laughed  harshly,  interrupting  the 
Judge.  Then  he  turned  suddenly  to  Hollis,  his 
face  inflamed  with  passion. 

"I  reckon  this  is  some  of  your  work?"  he 
snarled. 

Hollis  met  his  gaze  steadily.  "  I  imagine  it 
is,"  he  said  quietly.  He  could  not  keep  a  flash 
of  triumph  from  his  eyes.  "  Nothing  could 
please  me  better  than  to  discover  that  I  had  a 
hand  in  bringing  the  law  to  this  country.  It 
needs  plenty  of  law." 

Judge    Graney    cleared    his    throat.     "This 


TO   SUPPORT   THE   LAW      203 

does  not  apply  to  you  alone,  Dunlavey,"  he  said, 
facing  the  latter.  "  Letters  have  been  sent  to 
every  cattleman  in  Union  County,  demanding 
their  appearance  before  me.  The  government  is 
determined  to  re-adjust  conditions  out  here — to 
enforce  this  new  law  to  the  letter.  Beginning  on 
the  first  of  next  month, — September — which  will 
be  the  day  after  to-morrow,  every  cattle  owner 
in  the  county  will  be  required  to  register  his 
brand  and  return  a  list  of  his  cattle,  for  taxation. 
Any  owner  refusing  to  make  a  fair  return  on  his 
stock  will  make  a  grave  mistake.  Upon  his  fail 
ure  to  make  such  return  the  government  will 
seize  his  stock  and  dispose  of  it  to  the  highest 
bidder,  deducting  such  an  amount  as  will  cover 
taxes,  court  costs,  and  fines,  and  returning  the 
remainder,  if  any,  to  the  owner."  Judge  Gra- 
ney  faced  Hollis.  "  I  suppose  you  have  re 
ceived  your  notification  to  that  effect?"  he  in 
quired. 

"  I  haven't  paid  much  attention  to  my  mail 
since — since  I  met  Mr.  Dunlavey  and  several 
of  his  friends  one  night — some  weeks  ago."  He 
smiled  grimly,  at  Dunlavey,  who  met  his  gaze 
with  a  derisive  grin.  "  I  haven't  been  very 
much  interested  in  anything  except  getting  well," 
continued  Hollis.  "  But  whether  I  have  been 
notified  or  not  I  shall  take  pleasure  in  comply- 


204     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

ing  with  the  law.  I  shall  have  my  list  ready  on 
time — likewise  I  shall  register  my  brand." 

Dimlavey  sneered.  "  That  won't  be  such  an 
almighty  big  job —  counting  your  steers,"  he 
said. 

Hollis  laughed  shortly.  "  Perhaps  not  as  big 
a  job  as  it  would  have  been  had  conditions  been 
different,"  he  observed  dryly. 

"  Meaning?  "  snapped  Dunlavey,  stiffening  in 
his  chair. 

"  You  may  draw  your  own  inference,"  drawled 
Hollis. 

For  an  instant  it  seemed  that  Dunlavey  con 
templated  attacking  Hollis ;  he  placed  both  hands 
on  the  table  before  him,  preparatory  to  rising, 
evidently  thought  better  of  the  idea  and  sank 
into  the  chair  again,  his  eyes  flashing  venomously 
as  they  met  Hollis's. 

'  This  country's  going  plum  to  hell ! "  he 
sneered ;  "  when  tenderf eet  and  half-baked  law 
yers  get  to  running  things  it  will  be  time  for  the 
cattlemen  to  pull  up  stakes  and  hit  the  breeze! 
But  I'm  telling  you  one  thing!  "  He  banged  his 
fist  heavily  down  upon  the  table  in  front  of  him 
and  scowled  at  the  Judge,  his  voice  vibrating 
with  passion:  "  You  let  your  damned  tenderfoot 
owners  bring  in  their  lists.  Mebbe  they  don't 
know  any  better.  But  I  ain't  bringin'  in  no  list. 


TO  SUPPORT  THE  LAW      205 

It's  one  thing  to  pass  a  law  and  another  thing 
to  enforce  it ! "  He  sat  silent  for  an  instant, 
glaring  at  the  Judge,  who  smiled  quietly  at  him, 
then  he  turned  to  Hollis. 

"  You've  been  carrying  on  like  you  was  in 
tending  to  own  this  here  country  some  day,"  he 
sneered ;  "  with  your  damned  newspaper  and 
your  lawyer  friend  here.  What  we  handed  you 
the  other  night  was  just  a  sample  of  what  you'll 
get  if  you  don't  hit  the  breeze  out  of  this  coun 
try!  "  He  got  to  his  feet  and  stood  beside  the 
table,  glaring  around  at  the  three  men. 

For  a  moment  neither  of  the  three  spoke. 
There  was  a  saturnine,  almost  mocking,  smile 
on  the  face  of  the  man  who  stood  at  the  window. 
In  his  expression  one  could  discover  much  ap 
preciation  of  the  character  of  the  man  at  whom 
he  was  looking — it  revealed  the  fact  that  he  had 
met  such  men  before — and  admired  them  little. 
There  was  no  fear  in  the  expression,  yet  had  one 
of  the  other  men  taken  the  trouble  to  look  at  him 
they  would  have  seen  that  his  right  hand  was 
now  lingering  very  close  to  the  butt  of  the  revol 
ver  at  his  hip. 

Judge  Graney  cleared  his  throat.  The  smile 
was  still  on  his  face,  but  a  sudden  brighteness  of 
the  eyes  and  a  flush  in  each  cheek  showed  that 
Dunlavey's  defiance  had  affected  him.  Both  he 


206     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

and  the  man  at  the  window  watched  closely  as 
Hollis  got  to  his  feet  and  approached  Dunlavey. 

Hollis's  face  was  slightly  pale,  but  there  was  a 
steady,  unwavering  gleam  in  his  eyes  as  he 
walked  to  within  five  feet  of  Dunlavey  and  stood 
quietly  beside  the  table  looking  at  him. 

"  Dunlavey,"  he  began  slowly,  in  a  soft,  even 
voice,  in  which  there  was  not  a  hint  of  excitement, 
"  I  haven't  anything  to  do  with  enforcing  the 
law  that  seems  to  have  come  to  Union  County. 
You  can  defy  the  law  if  you  please.  But  I 
have  something  to  say  in  reply  to  what  you  have 
said  to  me.  It  is  this :  I  haven't  any  ambition  to 
own  the  entire  country — such  talk  from  a  grown 
man  is  childish.  But  I  do  intend  to  own  the 
little  I've  got  in  spite  of  you  or  anyone  else. 
I  am  not  in  the  least  afraid  of  you.  I  owe  you 
something  on  account  of  the  other  night  and 
some  day  I  am  going  to  thrash  you  within  an 
inch  of  your  life !  " 

Dunlavey's  hand  fell  suggestively  to  his  side. 
:<  There's  no  time  like  the  present,"  he  sneered. 

"  Of  course  I  know  that  you  carry  a  gun," 
said  Hollis  still  evenly,  without  excitement; 
"  most  of  you  folks  out  here  don't  seem  to  be  able 
to  get  along  without  one — it  seems  to  be  the 
fashion.  Also,  I  might  add,  every  man  that  car 
ries  one  seems  to  yearn  to  use  it.  But  it  has  al- 


TO   SUPPORT   THE   LAW       207 

ways  seemed  to  me  that  a  man  who  will  use  a 
gun  without  great  provocation  is  a  coward!" 
He  smiled  grimly  into  Dunlavey's  face. 

For  an  instant  Dunlavey  did  not  move.  His 
eyes  glittered  malevolently  as  they  bored  into 
Hollis's.  Then  his  expression  changed  until  it 
was  a  mingling  of  contempt,  incredulity,  and 
mockery. 

"  So  you're  thinking  of  thrashing  me  ? "  he 
sniffed,  backing  away  a  little  and  eyeing  Hollis 
critically.  "  You  slugged  me  once  and  you're 
thinking  to  do  it  again.  And  you  think  that  any 
man  who  uses  a  gun  on  another  is  a  coward? " 
He  laughed  sardonically.  "  Well,  all  I've  got 
to  say  to  you  is  that  you  ain't  got  your  eye-teeth 
cut  yet."  He  deliberately  turned  his  back  on 
Hollis  and  the  others  and  walked  to  the  door. 
.On  the  threshold  he  halted,  looking  back  at  them 
all  with  a  sneering  smile. 

'  You  know  where  I  live,"  he  said  to  Judge 
Graney.  "  I  ain't  bringing  in  no  list  nor  I  ain't 
registering  my  brand.  I  don't  allow  no  man  to 
come  monkeying  around  on  my  range  and  if  you 
come  out  there,  thinking  to  run  off  any  of  my 
stock,  you're  doing  it  at  your  own  risk!"  His 
gaze  went  from  the  Judge  to  Hollis  and  his  smile 
grew  malignant. 

"  I'm  saying  this  to  you,"  he  said,  "  no  man 


208     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

ain't  ever  thrashed  Bill  Dunlavey  yet  and  I  ain't 
allowing  that  any  man  is  ever  going  to.  Put 
that  in  your  pipe  and  smoke  it!  " 

He  slammed  the  door  and  was  gone.  Hollis 
turned  from  the  door  to  see  a  dry  smile  on  the 
face  of  the  man  at  the  window. 

"  Fire  eater,  ain't  he? "  observed  the  latter,  as 
he  caught  Hollis's  glance. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THE  BEARER  OF  GOOD  NEWS 

HOLLIS  smiled.     The  Judge  got  to  his 
feet  and  approached  the  two  men. 

"  Hollis,"  he  said,  "  shake  hands  with 
Mr.  Allen,  of  Lazette." 

Allen's  hand  came  out  quickly  and  was 
grasped  by  Hollis's,  both  grips  being  hearty  and 
warm. 

"  My  name's  Ben  Allen,"  explained  the 
stranger  with  a  smile.  "  Tacking  on  a  handle 
like  '  Mister '  would  sure  make  me  feel  like  a 
stranger  to  myself." 

'  We'll  not  quarrel  about  that,"  remarked  the 
Judge  with  a  smile ;  "  we'll  call  you  Ben."  He 
looked  soberly  at  Hollis,  continuing: 

"  Allen  has  been  sent  over  here  from  Lazette 
to  assist  us  in  establishing  the  law.  He  was  for 
merly  sheriff  of  Colfax  County,  having  been  de 
feated  by  the  Cattlemen's  Association  because 
he  refused  to  become  a  party  to  its  schemes.  On 
several  occasions  since  severing  his  official  con 
nection  with  Colfax  County  he  has  acted  in  a 

209 


210     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

special  capacity  for  the  government.  He  is  an 
old  acquaintance  of  the  new  Secretary  of  the  In 
terior  and  much  trusted  by  him.  He  is  to  be  the 
inquisitor  mentioned  in  the  letter  which  I  read 
in  the  presence  of  Dunlavey." 

Hollis  looked  at  Allen  with  a  new  interest. 
After  noting  again  the  steady,  serene  eyes,  nar 
rowed  always  with  a  slight  squint;  the  firm 
straight  lips,  the  well  set  jaws,  Hollis  mentally 
decided  that  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  could 
not  have  made  a  better  choice.  Certainly,  if  he 
had  served  as  sheriff  of  Colfax  County,  he  had 
had  some  excellent  experiences,  for  from  reading 
the  Lazette  Eagle,  Hollis  had  acquired  consid 
erable  knowledge  of  the  character  of  the  inhabi 
tants  of  Colfax.  The  editor  of  the  Eagle  had 
many  times  felicitated  himself  upon  the  fact  that 
his  town  (Lazette)  had  not  been  built  ten  miles 
farther  east — in  which  case  he  would  have  been  a 
resident  of  Union — and  ashamed  of  it. 

"  I  think  we  need  you,"  said  Hollis  simply. 
"  But  I  imagine  you  will  have  to  concentrate 
your  efforts  upon  one  ranch  only — the  Circle 
Cross.  If  you  make  Dunlavey  bow  to  the  law, 
you  may  consider  your  work  finished." 

"  I  think  Dunlavey  will  change  his  views  of 
things  shortly,"  remarked  Allen,  quietly,  but  sig 
nificantly.  He  smiled  at  Hollis.  "  I  have  read 


THE  BEARER  OF  GOOD  NEWS       211 

your  paper  regularly,"  he  said.  '  You've  got 
the  editor  of  our  paper  hopping  mad — with  your 
claims  about  Dry  Bottom  being  superior  to  La- 
zette.  Also,  you've  stirred  up  the  Secretary  of 
the  Interior  some.  I  was  called  to  Washington 
three  weeks  ago  and  invited  to  tell  what  I  knew 
of  conditions  out  here.  I  didn't  exaggerate 
when  I  told  the  Secretary  that  hell  was  a  more 
peaceful  place  for  a  law  loving  man  to  live  in. 
Though,"  he  added  with  a  smile,  "  I  wasn't  ever 
in  hell  and  couldn't  be  positive.  I  was  just  ac 
cepting  what  I've  heard  preachers  say  about 
it.  The  Secretary  asked  me  if  I  knowed  you 
and  I  told  him  that  though  I  didn't  I  would  be 
right  glad  to  if  you  was  doing  anything  in  my 
line.  He  laughed  and  said  he'd  miss  his  guess 
if  you  wasn't  making  things  interesting.  Told 
me  to  get  you  to  one  side  and  tell  you  to  go  to 
it."  He  smiled  dryly.  "  According  to  what 
I've  read  in  the  Kicker  you  don't  need  to  be  told 
that  and  so  I'm  keeping  my  mouth  shut." 

He  dropped  his  humor  and  spoke  seriously, 
questioning  Hollis  about  the  location  of  his  ranch, 
listening  quietly  and  attentively  to  the  latter's 
answers.  Half  an  hour  later  after  having  ar 
ranged  with  Judge  Graney  for  the  registering  of 
his  brand  and  the  listing  of  his  cattle,  Hollis  left 
the  court  house  and  went  to  his  office.  In  run- 


212     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

ning  through  his  mail  he  came  upon  Judge  Gra- 
ney's  notification  and  also  another  letter,  post 
marked  "  Chicago,"  which  drew  a  pleased  smile 
to  his  face.  A  few  minutes  later  Norton  came 
in,  and  though  Hollis  had  done  very  little  on  the 
paper  he  rose  and  smilingly  announced  his  in 
tention  of  returning  to  the  Circle  Bar. 

"  We'll  take  the  Coyote  trail,"  he  informed 
Norton,  after  they  had  mounted  and  were  riding 
away  from  the  Kicker  office ;  "I'm  stopping  for 
a  moment  at  the  Hazelton  cabin.  Of  course," 
he  added,  seeing  a  knowing  grin  on  Norton's 
face,  "  I  expected  you  would  be  suspicious — mar 
ried  folks  have  a  habit  of  adopting  a  supercilious 
and  all-wise  attitude  toward  those  of  us  who  have 
been  unfortunate  enough  to  remain  in  a  state  of 
single  blessedness." 

"  Meanin'  that  you're  some  sore  because  you 
ain't  got  hooked  up  yet?  "  grinned  Norton. 

"Perhaps,"  laughed  Hollis.  "But  I  have 
been  thinking  seriously  of  trying  to  reach  your 
altitude." 

"  Girl  willin'?"  queried  Norton,  as  they  rode 
down  through  a  little  gully,  then  up  to  a  stretch 
of  plain  that  brought  them  to  the  Coyote  trail. 

"  That's  where  I  am  all  at  sea,"  returned  Hol 
lis.  He  laughed.  "  I  suppose  you've  read 
Ace's  poem  in  the  Kicker?"  He  caught  Nor- 


THE  BEARER  OF  GOOD  NEWS      213 

ton's  nod  and  continued.  "  Well,  Ace  succeeded 
in  crowding  a  whole  lot  of  truth  into  that  effort. 
Of  course  you  remember  the  first  couplet : 

"  '  Woman — she  don't  need  no  tooter, 
Be  she  skule  ma'am  or  biscut  shooter.'  '* 

he  quoted. 

"  A  woman  seems  to  have  an  intuitive  know 
ledge  of  man's  mental  processes.  At  least  she 
guages  him  pretty  well  without  letting  him  into 
the  mystery  of  how  she  does  it.  A  man  can 
never  tell  where  he  will  land.  Ace  came  very 
near  striking  the  nail  on  the  head  when  he  wrote 
in  the  second  couplet  that: 

'  She  has  most  curyus  ways  about  her, 
Which  leads  a  man  to  kinda  dout  her.' 

"And  then,  knowing  man  so  well,  she  abso 
lutely  refuses  to  let  him  know  anything  of  her 
thoughts.  Which  again,  Ace  has  noted  in  this 
manner : 

'  Though  lookin'  at  her  is  sure  a  pleasure; 
There  ain't  no  way  to  get  her  measure. 

I  reckon  she  had  man  on  the  run 
A  long  while  before  the  world  begun/ 

"That  seems  to  be  the  exact  truth,"  he 
laughed. 


Norton  grinned  at  him.  "You  single  guys 
have  certa'nly  got  a  whole  lot  to  learn,"  he  said, 
"  for  a  fact.  Of  course  if  she's  any  kind  of  a 
woman  at  all  she's  got  him  runnin'.  But  which 
way?" 

"  Why,  toward  her,  of  course !  "  laughed  Hol- 
lis. 

Norton's  smile  widened.  "  You've  tumbled 
to  that,  then,"  he  observed  dryly.  "  Then 
you're  ready  for  the  next  lesson." 

"  And  that?  "  questioned  Hollis. 

Norton  smiled  with  ineffable  pity.  "  Lordy !  " 
he  laughed ;  "  you  single  guys  don't  know  a  thing 
not  a  durned  thing !  " 

After  that  they  rode  on  in  silence.  When 
they  came  in  sight  of  the  Hazelton  cabin  Norton 
reined  in  his  pony  and  sat  motionless  in  the 
saddle,  grinning  at  Hollis. 

*  You  run  along  now,"  he  advised.  "  I'll  be 
hittin'  her  off  toward  the  Dry  Bottom  trail  for 
the  rest  of  the  way — I  sorta  like  that  trail  better 
anyway." 

He  urged  his  pony  off  at  a  tangent  and  Hollis 
continued  on  his  way.  He  found  Nellie  alone, 
her  brother  having  gone  out  on  the  range.  She 
came  out  on  the  porch,  hearing  his  pony's  hoofs 
on  the  hard  sand  and  rocks  of  the  trail,  and  there 
was  a  sincere  welcome  in  her  eyes.  It  was  the 


THE  BEARER  OF  GOOD  NEWS       215 

first  time  that  he  had  visited  the  cabin  since  he 
had  returned  to  the  Circle  Bar. 

"Oh!"    she    said    delightedly.    And    then, 
aware  of  the  sudden  light  that  had  come  into 
Hollis's  eyes  at  this  evidence  of  interest,  she 
blushed  and  looked  down  at  the  hem  of  her  skirt, 
nervously  pushing  it  out  with  the  toe  of  her  shoe. 

During  the  days  of  Hollis's  convalescence  at 
the  Hazelton  cabin  he  had  seen  the  young  woman 
in  many  moods.  In  none  of  them,  however, 
had  she  seemed  so  attractive  as  now.  Confusion 
became  her,  he  decided,  and  he  regarded  her 
with  a  new  interest  as  he  sat  on  his  pony,  await 
ing  her  invitation  to  dismount.  It  came  pres 
ently. 

"  It  is  frightfully  hot,"  she  said,  moving  over 
to  where  stood  two  chairs — one  in  which  he  had 
passed  many  hours  during  the  days  of  his  con 
valescence,  the  other  in  which  she  had  sat  quite 
often —  near  him.  Not  until  now  did  he  realize 
how  full  and  satisfying  those  days  had  been.  As 
he  dismounted  and  tied  his  pony  to  one  of  the 
slender  porch  columns  he  smiled — thinking  of 
Norton's  question  during  their  discusssion  of 
Ace's  poem.  "  Of  course  " —  the  range  boss  had 
said — "  if  she's  any  kind  of  a  woman  at  all  she's 
got  him  runnin'.  But  which  way?  "  Of  course 
— literally — she  did  not  have  him  running,  but 


216    THE   COMING  OF  THE  LAW 

he  knew  that  some  uncommon  passion  had 
gripped  him  and  that  he  was  unaccountably; 
pleased. 

His  smile  grew  when  he  remembered  her  sud 
den  indignation  over  his  thoughtless  statement 
that  women  had  never  interested  him.  Of 
course  he  would  not  tell  her  that  he  felt  a  seri 
ous  interest  in  one  woman.  When  he  dropped 
into  his  favorite  chair,  removing  his  hat  and  mop 
ping  the  perspiration  from  his  forehead  with  his 
handkerchief,  he  caught  her  looking  swiftly  at 
the  scar  under  his  right  eye — which  would  al 
ways  be  a  reminder  of  his  experience  on  the  night 
of  the  storm.  She  saw  his  brows  contract  in  a 
frown. 

"  You  have  quite  recovered,"  she  said ; "  except 
for  that  slight  scar  under  the  eye  you  are  the 
same  as  before  the  meeting  with  Dunlavey's 


men." 


He  looked  beyond  her  at  the  tawny  mountains 
that  rose  in  the  distance, — miles  on  the  other  side 
of  the  big  basin — swimming  in  the  shimmering 
blur  of  white  sky — somber  guardians  of  a  mys 
terious  world.  What  secret  did  they  guard? 
What  did  they  know  of  this  world  of  eternal 
sunlight,  of  infinite  distance?  Did  they  know 
as  much  of  the  world  upon  which  they  frowned 
as  he  knew  of  the  heart  of  the  slender,  motherly 


THE  BEARER  OF  GOOD  NEWS      217 

girl  whose  eyes  betrayed  her  each  time  he  looked 
into  them? 

A  smile  that  lurked  deep  within  him  did  not 
show  in  his  face — it  was  unborn  and  it  gripped 
him  strangely,  creating  a  sensation  in  his  breast 
that  he  could  not  analyze,  but  which  pleaded  to 
be  expressed.  He  could  not  express  it — now. 
He  feared  to  trust  himself  and  so  he  fought  it 
down,  assuring  himself  that  it  was  not  yet  time. 
But  he  knew  that  he  was  not  the  same  as  before 
his  experience  with  Dunlavey  on  the  night  of  the 
storm.  Something  had  stolen  into  his  heart  and 
was  enthroned  there;  something  deeper  than  a 
mere  scar — a  girl  who  had  mothered  him  in  his 
extremity ;  who  had  hovered  over  him,  attending 
to  his  bruises,  binding  his  wounds,  tenderly 
smoothing  his  brow  during  the  days  and  nights 
of  the  fever;  attending  his  wants  during  con 
valescence;  erecting  a  citadel  in  his  heart  which 
would  stand  as  a  monument  to  his  gratitude. 
No,  not  gratitude  merely.  The  smile  was  born. 
He  turned  and  looked  at  her,  meeting  her  eyes 
fairly,  and  hers  dropped  in  confusion. 

"  Do  you  think  that  I  am  the  same  as  before? " 
he  asked  suddenly. 

She  stood  up,  radiant,  pointing  a  finger  to 
ward  the  Coyote  trail.  "  Ed  is  coming !  "  she  de 
clared. 


Before  he  could  say  another  word  she  was 
down  off  the  porch  and  running  toward  her 
brother,  holding  his  horse  while  he  dismounted, 
kissing  him,  patting  him  lovingly  as  they  came 
toward  the  porch. 

The  latter  greeted  Hollis  warmly.  "  A  fellow 
couldn't  help  but  feel  good  with  a  sister  like  that 
— now  could  he? "  he  inquired  as  he  came  upon 
the  porch  and  took  the  chair  which  Nellie  had 
vacated.  She  had  disappeared  into  the  cabin, 
not  even  looking  at  Hollis,  but  she  could  not 
have  heard  Hollis's  reply  had  she  remained.  For 
it  was  wordless.  There  are  times  when  men  un 
derstand  perfectly  without  speech. 

Hollis  stayed  for  dinner.  Nellie  was  radi 
antly  silent  during  the  meal,  attending  to  the 
wants  of  the  two  men,  listening  while  they  dis 
cussed  recent  happenings  in  the  county.  Ed 
was  much  pleased  to  hear  of  the  coming  of  Ben 
Allen. 

'  That  guy  is  business — through  and  through," 
he  assured  Hollis.  "  He  was  the  best  sheriff 
Coif  ax  County  ever  had — and  it's  had  some  good 
ones.  Allen's  quiet,  but  there  ain't  anyone 
going  to  herdride  him.  Some  have  tried  it,  but 
they  found  it  didn't  pay  and  so  they  don't  try 
it  any  more." 

After  dinner  they  went  out  on  the  porch  for  a 


THE  BEARER  OF  GOOD  NEWS      219 

smoke,  leaving  Nellie  inside.  They  could  hear 
her  singing  as  she  washed  the  dishes.  Hazelton 
smiled  as  a  particularly  happy  note  reached  his 
ears.  "  I  don't  know  what's  got  into  Sis,"  he 
said,  flashing  a  swift  glance  at  Hollis.  "  I 
don't  know  as  I  ever  heard  her  sing  that  well  be 
fore." 

Hollis  made  no  reply  and  the  conversation 
turned  to  the  drought — as  all  conversations  did 
during  that  period.  Word  had  come  to  Hazel- 
ton  of  Dunlavey's  warning  to  the  cattle  owners. 
He  had  heard  also  of  Hollis's  announced  inten 
tion  of  taking  sides  with  the  small  owners. 

"  Dunlavey's  ten  days  is  up  the  day  after  to 
morrow,"  said  Hazelton.  "  If  Dunlavey  starts 
anything  what  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  That  will  depend  on  what  Dunlavey  starts," 
smiled  Hollis. 

"  H'm ! "  inexpressively  grunted  Hazelton. 
He  flashed  a  glance  at  the  face  of  the  young 
man  beside  him,  noting  the  firm  mouth,  the 
steady  eyes,  and  the  faint,  grim  smile.  "  H'm !  " 
he  said  again.  "  I  suppose  you  know  who 
you're  going  to  give  your  water  to?  "  he  ques 
tioned. 

Hollis  nodded.  "  To  men  who  refused  to 
help  my  father  when  he  needed  help,"  he  re 
turned. 


220     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

Hazelton  smiled  oddly.  "  I've  heard  about 
that,"  he  said.  He  laughed.  "  It  strikes .  me 
that  I  wouldn't  give  such  men  any  water,"  he 
added. 

Hollis  turned  and  looked  at  him,  meeting  his 
gaze  fairly,  and  holding  it. 

"  Yes,  you  would,  Hazelton,"  he  said,  a  broad 
smile  on  his  face. 

"  How  do  you  know  that?  "  queried  the  latter, 
slightly  defiant. 

Hollis  motioned  toward  the  kitchen  door.  "  I 
know,"  he  said;  "  you're  her  brother." 

"Well,"   began   Hazelton   hesitatingly,—"! 


The  screen  door  opened — slammed,  and  Nellie 
Hazelton  came  out  upon  the  porch.  She  had 
found  time  to  change  her  morning  dress  for  a 
soft,  fluffy  creation  of  some  sort,  and  she  stood 
before  them,  flushing  slightly  as  both  looked  at 
her,  a  picture  that  smote  Hollis's  heart  with  a 
sudden  longing.  Only  one  glance  did  she  give 
him  and  then  she  was  over  near  Ed's  chair,  lean 
ing  over  him,  stroking  his  hair. 

For  a  long  time  Hollis  sat,  watching  them 
with  sympathetic,  appreciative  eyes.  Then  he 
thought  of  the  letter  in  his  pocket,  the  one  post 
marked  "  Chicago,"  which  he  had  discovered  at 
the  Kicker  office  on  returning  from  the  court 


THE  BEARER  OF  GOOD  NEWS      221 

house.     He  drew  it  from  his  pocket  and  read  the 
legend  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner: 

"  Dr.  J.  J.  Hammond, 

Hospital, 

Chicago,  111." 

He  studied  the  legend  for  some  little  time,  his 
thoughts  busy  with  the  contents  of  the  envelope. 
Fortunately,  his  letter  to  the  great  physician  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  son,  Tom  Hammond, 
and  the  latter,  not  forgetting  his  old  schoolmate, 
had  appealed  to  his  father.  This  was  what  the 
surgeon  had  written  in  the  letter — he  would  not 
have  agreed  to  accept  the  case  had  it  not  been  for 
the  fact  that  Hollis  had  been,  and  was  Tom's 
friend.  He  would  be  pleased  if  the  patient 
would  make  the  journey  to  Chicago  within  a 
month,  that  he  might  be  able  to  take  up  his  case 
before  entering  upon  some  scientific  investiga 
tions  which  had  been  deferred  a  long  time,  etc. 

Hollis  had  been  reading  the  letter  again.  He 
finished  it  and  looked  up,  to  see  Ed  and  Nellie 
watching  him.  He  flushed  and  smiled,  holding 
out  the  letter  to  Nellie. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said.  "  I  found  this 
interesting.  Perhaps  you  will  also  find  it  so." 

He  leaned  back  with  a  smile  and  watched 
them.  But  he  did  not  watch  long.  He  saw 


222     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

Nellie  start,  saw  the  color  slowly  recede  from  her 
face,  saw  her  hands  clench  tightly — as  she  began 
to  read  the  letter.  He  turned  away,  not  caring 
to  watch  them  during  that  sacred  moment  in 
which  they  would  read  the  line  of  hope  that  the 
great  surgeon  had  written.  He  looked — it 
seemed — for  a  long  time  down  the  Coyote  trail, 
and  when  he  finally  turned  his  head  toward  them 
he  saw  Ed  Hazelton  sitting  erect  in  his  chair, 
apparently  stunned  by  the  news.  But  before 
him,  close  to  him,  so  close  that  he  felt  her  breath 
in  his  face — her  eyes  wide  with  delight,  thankful 
ness — and  perhaps  something  more — Nellie  was 
kneeling. 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  Mr.  Hollis !  "  she  said  earn 
estly,  her  lips  all  a-quiver;  "Thank  you,  and 
God  bless  you!" 

He  tried  to  sit  erect;  tried  to  open  his  lips  to 
tell  her  that  he  had  done  only  what  any  man 
would  have  done  under  the  circumstances.  But 
he  moved  not,  nor  did  he  speak,  for  her  arms  had 
gone  around  his  shoulders,  and  her  lips  were  sud 
denly  pressed  firmly  and  quickly  to  his.  Then 
he  was  released  and  she  turned,  crying: 

"  Come  and  thank  him,  Ed!  " 

But  Ed  had  taken  himself  off — perhaps  he  did 
not  care  to  allow  anyone  to  witness  his  joy. 

Some  time  during  the  evening  Hollis  took  his 


THE  BEARER  OF  GOOD  NEWS      223 

departure  from  the  Hazelton  cabin.  Ed  had 
come  back,  silently  taking  Hollis's  hand  and 
gripping  it  earnestly.  And  before  Hollis  had 
departed  Ed  had  taken  himself  into  the  house. 
Perhaps  he  divined  that  there  were  other's  joys 
beside  his. 

That  night  before  retiring  Nellie  stole  softly] 
into  her  brother's  room  and  kissed  him  lightly; 
on  the  forehead.  That  same  night  also  Hollis 
rode  up  to  the  Circle  Bar  corral  gate — singing. 
Norton  and  Potter  were  sitting  on  the  gallery, 
waiting  for  him.  While  Hollis  was  removing 
the  saddle  from  his  pony  Norton  rose  from  his 
chair  and  smiled  at  Potter. 

"  Well,"  he  said  to  the  latter,  "  I'm  goin'  to 
bed."  He  moved  a  few  steps  toward  the  door 
and  then  turned  and  looked  back  at  Potter,  who 
had  also  risen.  He  laughed. 

"Listen,  Potter,"  he  said.    Then  he  quoted: 

"  Woman — she  don't  need  no  tooter 
Be  she  skule  ma'am  or  biscuit  shooter." 

He  hesitated  and  looked  again  at  Potter. 

"  Why,"  said  the  latter,  puzzled,  "  that's  from 
Ace's  poem! " 

"  Sure,"  laughed  Norton;  "  that's  just  what 
it  is!" 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE  EUSTLEE 

THE  following  day  Hollis  rode  to  town  over 
the  Dry  Bottom  trail.  Had  he  followed 
a  perfectly  natural  inclination  he  would 
have  taken  the  Coyote,  for  it  would  have  brought 
him  to  the  Hazelton  cabin.  But  he  succeeded 
in  forcing  himself  to  go  the  other  way,  arguing 
that  Nellie  and  her  brother  might  wish  to  be 
alone  to  consider  the  great  good  fortune  that 
had  come  upon  them. 

And  so  they  did,  though  had  Hollis  appeared 
to  them  this  morning  as  they  sat  upon  the  porch 
he  would  have  been  assured  of  a  royal  welcome. 
Indeed,  during  the  early  morning  hours  Nellie 
had  cast  many  furtive,  expectant  glances  down 
the  Coyote  trail.  When  eight  o'clock  came  and 
Hollis  did  not  appear  she  gave  him  up. 

The  dawn  found  her  kneeling  beside  her 
brother's  bed. 

"Ed!"  she  said,  leaning  over  him,  waking 

224 


THE   HUSTLER 

him,  her  eyes  alight  with  joy;  "  Ed,  he  says  you 
can  be  cured ! " 

He  struggled  and  sat  up,  rubbing  his  eyes. 

"  Gosh,  sis ! "  he  said  in  an  awed  voice.  ;<  Then 
it's  true!  I  was  afraid  I'd  been  dreaming! " 

"  It  is  no  dream,"  she  returned  ecstatically; 
"it  is  reality — beautiful  reality!  Wasn't  it 
simply  great  of  him  to  take  such  an  interest  in 
us?" 

"Us?"  grinned  Ed,  noting  her  crimson, 
happy  face.  "  Well,  mebbe  he  did  it  for  us" 
he  added  subtly,  "  but  I  take  it  I've  got  a  right 
to  have  another  opinion  on  that." 

She  fled  from  him  without  answering  and  a 
little  later  he  heard  her  singing  as  she  prepared 
breakfast.  After  the  meal  Ed  made  a  short 
trip  out  into  the  basin  to  look  after  his  cattle 
and  then  returned  to  the  cabin.  Sitting  on  the 
porch  he  and  Nellie  devoted  several  hours  to  a 
grave  discussion  of  the  situation.  They  discov 
ered  that  it  had  a  serious  side. 

In  the  first  place  there  was  the  dangerous 
nature  of  the  operation.  Here  Ed  laughed 
away  his  sister's  fears  by  assuring  her  that  he 
had  an  excellent  constitution  and  that  since  the 
fall  from  the  pony  had  not  killed  him  he  was  in 
no  danger  from  the  knife.  If  Nellie  entertained 
any  doubt  of  this  she  wisely  remained  silent, 


226     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

though  Ed  could  see  that  she  was  not  entirely  re 
assured.  He  swept  away  her  last  objection  to 
this  forbidding  feature  when  he  told  her  that  he 
preferred  taking  the  risk  to  living  in  constant 
dread  of  a  recurrence  of  an  acute  attack  of  his 
malady — such  as  he  had  experienced  when  he 
had  attacked  Hollis  in  Devil's  Hollow. 

There  were  many  other  things  to  be  discussed 
— chiefly  the  care  of  the  cattle  and  the  cabin  dur 
ing  his  absence  in  Chicago.  He  would  not  lis 
ten  to  her  suggestion  to  accompany  him — he 
would  prefer  to  have  her  remain  at  the  cabin. 
Or  he  would  try  to  arrange  with  Hollis  for  her  to 
stay  at  the  Circle  Bar.  There  she  would  have 
Mrs.  Norton  for  a  companion,  and  she  might 
ride  each  day  to  the  cabin.  He  was  certain  that 
Hollis  would  arrange  to  have  his  men  care  for 
the  cattle.  He  assured  her  that  he  would  settle 
that  question  with  Hollis  when  the  latter  passed 
the  cabin  that  night  on  his  return  to  the  Circle 
Bar.  Of  course  Hollis  would  take  the  Coyote 
trail  to-night,  he  insinuated,  grinning  hugely  at 
the  blushes  that  reached  her  face. 

But  Hollis  did  not  pass  the  cabin  that  night. 
He  had  taken  the  Dry  Bottom  trail  on  his  return 
to  the  Circle  Bar. 

He  had  accomplished  very  little  that  day  on 
account  of  the  heat — and  a  certain  vision  that 


THE   HUSTLER  227 

had  troubled  him — taking  his  mind  off  his  work 
and  projecting  it  to  a  little  cabin  in  a  small  basin, 
to  a  porch  where  sat  a  girl — the  girl  of  his  vision. 
She  had  voluntarily  kissed  him.  Had  it  been 
all  on  account  of  gratitude?  Of  course — 
though —  Well,  memory  of  the  kiss  still  lin 
gered  and  he  was  willing  to  forgive  her  the 
slight  lapse  of  modesty  because  he  had  been  the 
recipient. 

There  had  been  one  interesting  development 
in  Dry  Bottom  during  the  day.  All  day  the 
town  had  swarmed  with  ranch  owners  who  had 
come  in  to  the  court  house  to  list  their  cattle  for 
taxation  and  register  their  brands.  Shortly 
after  noon  Ben  Allen  had  dropped  into  the 
Kicker  office  with  the  news  that  every  owner  in 
the  county  with  the  exception  of  Dunlavey  had 
responded  to  the  law's  demands. 

To  Hollis's  inquiry  regarding  the  course  he 
would  pursue  in  forcing  Dunlavey  to  comply 
with  the  law,  Allen  remarked  with  a  smile  that 
there  was  "  plenty  of  time."  He  had  had  much 
experience  with  men  of  the  Dunlavey  type. 

Potter  and  Hollis  exchanged  few  words  dur 
ing  the  ride  to  the  Circle  Bar.  The  heat — the 
eternal,  scorching,  blighting  heat — still  con 
tinued;  the  dust  had  become  an  almost  unbear 
able  irritation.  During  the  trip  to  the  ranch 


228     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

the  two  men  came  upon  an  arroyo  over  which 
Hollis  had  passed  many  times.  At  a  water  hole 
where  he  had  often  watered  his  horse  they  came 
upon  several  dead  steers  stretched  prone  in  the 
green  slime.  The  water  had  disappeared;  the 
spring  that  had  provided  it  had  dried  and  there 
was  nothing  to  tell  of  it  except  a  small  stretch 
of  damp  earth,  baking  in  the  sun.  The  steers 
were  gaunt,  lanky  creatures,  their  hides  stretched 
tight  as  drum-heads  over  their  ribs,  their  tongues 
lolling  out,  black  and  swollen,  telling  mutely  of 
their  long  search  for  water  and  their  suffering. 
Coyotes  had  been  at  work  on  them;  here  lay  a 
heap  of  bare  bones ;  there  a  skull  glistened  in  the 
white  sunlight. 

A  few  miles  farther  on  they  came  upon  one 
of  the  punchers  from  the  Circle  Y  with  a  calf 
thrown  over  the  saddle  in  front  of  him.  He  was 
driving  several  gaunt,  drooping  cattle  toward 
the  Rabbit-Ear.  The  calf  bellowed  piteously 
at  sight  of  Hollis  and  Potter.  The  puncher 
hailed  them. 

"  You're  Hollis,  of  the  Circle  Bar,  ain't  you?  " 
he  said  when  the  latter  had  spurred  his  pony  close 
to  him.  At  Hollis's  nod  he  grinned  ironically. 
"  Hot !  "  he  said,  coming  quickly  to  the  universal 
topic  of  conversation;  "I  reckon  this  wouldn't 
be  called  hot  in  some  places — in  hell,  for  in- 


THE   RUSTLER  229 

stance.  Say,"  he  said  as  he  saw  Hollis's  lips 
straighten,  "  to-morrow  the  ten  days  is  up. 
Mebbe  it'll  be  hotter  then.  The  damned 
skunk!" 

Of  course  he  referred  to  Dunlavey — the  lat- 
ter's  threat  to  drive  all  foreign  cattle  from  the 
Rabbit-Ear  had  been  carried  far  and  wide  by 
riders — the  whole  country  knew  of  it.  There 
had  been  much  condemnation  and  some  specula 
tion,  but  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  until  after 
the  tenth  day.  Even  then  much  depended  upon 
Hollis's  attitude.  Would  he  make  war  upon 
Dunlavey  in  defense  of  the  men  who  had  refused 
aid  to  his  father  in  time  of  need? 

Hollis  was  still  of  the  opinion  that  Dunlavey 
would  not  attempt  to  carry  out  his  threat.  He 
smiled  at  the  malevolent  expression  in  the  punch 
er's  eyes. 

"  Somehow,"  he  said  quietly,  "  I  have  always 
been  able  to  distinguish  between  empty  boast 
and  determination.  Dunlavey  has  done  some 
foolish  things,  no  doubt,  and  is  doing  a  foolish 
thing  in  defying  the  law,  but  I  don't  anticipate 
that  he  will  do  anything  quite  so  rash  as  to 
further  antagonize  the  small  owners." 

The  puncher  sat  erect  and  laughed  harshly. 
"You  don't?"  he  inquired  in  an  over-gentle, 
polite  voice.  "  Mister  Hollis,"  he  added,  as  the 


230     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

latter  looked  quickly  at  him,  "  you  ain't  heard 
nothin'  from  the  Circle  Bar  to-day,  I  reckon? " 

Hollis's  answer  was  negative.  The  Circle  Y 
man's  face  grew  suddenly  serious.  "  You  ain't ! 
Well,  then,  that's  the  reason  you're  talkin'  so. 
The  last  I  heard  from  the  Circle  Bar  was  that 
Norton  an'  some  of  your  men  had  captured  one 
of  Dunlavey's  men — Greasy — rebrandin'  some 
Circle  Bar  steers  an'  was  gettin'  ready  to  string 
him  up.  I  reckon  mebbe  you'd  call  that  doin* 
some  thin' ! " 

Hollis  straightened.  He  had  suddenly  for 
gotten  the  heat,  the  dust,  and  the  problem  of 
water. 

"How  long  ago  did  you  hear  this?"  he  de 
manded  sharply. 

"  'Bout  an  hour  ago,"  returned  the  Circle  Y 
man.  "  I  was  rustlin'  up  these  strays  down  in 
the  basin  an'  headin'  them  toward  the  crick  when 
I  runs  plum  into  a  man  from  the  Three  Bar  out 
fit.  He  was  plum  excited  over  it.  Said  they'd 
ketched  Greasy  down  by  the  Narrows  sometime 
after  noon  an' " 

But  the  Circle  Y  man  finished  to  the  empty  air 
for  Hollis's  pony  had  leaped  forward  into  a 
cloud  of  dust,  running  desperately. 

The  Circle  Y  man  sat  erect,  startled.  "  Well, 
I'll  be "  he  began,  speaking  to  Potter.  But 


THE   RUSTLER  231 

the  printer  was  following  his  chief  and  was  al 
ready  out  of  hearing.  "  Now  what  do  you  sup 
pose "  again  began  the  Circle  Y  man,  and 

then  fell  silent,  suddenly  smitten  with  the  use- 
lessness  of  speech.  He  yelled  at  his  gaunt  steers 
and  shifted  the  calf  in  front  of  him  to  a  more 
comfortable  position.  Then  he  proceeded  on 
his  way.  But  as  he  rode  his  lips  curled,  his  eyes 
narrowed,  and  speech  again  returned  to  him. 
"  Now  why  in  hell  would  a  man  get  so  damned 
excited  over  hearin'  that  someone  was  goin'  to 
string  up  a  measly  rustler?  " 

The  interrogation  remained  unanswered. 
The  Circle  Y  man  continued  on  his  way,  watch 
ing  the  fast  disappearing  dust  clouds  on  the  Cir 
cle  Bar  trail. 

When  Hollis  reached  the  Circle  Bar  ranch- 
house  there  was  no  one  about.  He  rode  up  to 
the  front  gallery  and  dismounted,  thinking  that 
perhaps  Norton  would  be  in  the  house.  But 
before  he  had  crossed  the  gallery  Mrs.  Norton 
came  to  the  door.  She  was  pale  and  laboring 
under  great  excitement,  but  instantly  divined 
Hollis's  errand. 

"  They've  taken  him  down  to  the  cotton- 
wood  ! "  she  told  Hollis,  pointing  toward  the 
grove  in  which  Hollis  had  tried  the  six-shooter 
that  Norton  had  given  him  the  first  day  after  his 


232     THE   COMING   OF,   THE   LAW 

arrival  at  the  ranch.  "  They;  are  going  to  hang 
him!  Hurry!" 

Hollis  was  back  in  the  saddle  in  an  instant  and 
racing  his  pony  down  past  the  bunk  house  at 
break-neck  speed.  He  urged  the  little  animal 
across  an  intervening  stretch  of  plain,  up  a  slight 
rise,  down  into  a  shallow  valley,  and  into  the 
cottonwood,  riding  recklessly  through  the  trees 
and  urging  the  pony  at  a  headlong  pace  through 
the  underbrush — crashing  it  down,  scaring  the 
rattlers  from  their  concealment,  and  startling  the 
birds  from  their  lofty  retreats. 

For  ten  minutes  he  rode  as  he  had  never  rid 
den  before.  And  then  he  came  upon  them. 
.They  stood  at  the  base  of  a  fir-balsam,  whose 
gnarled  limbs  spread  flatly  outward — three  Cir 
cle  Bar  men,  a  half  dozen  from  the  various  out 
fits  whose  herds  grazed  his  range,  and  the  rustler 
— Greasy — a  rope  knotted  about  his  neck,  stand 
ing  directly  under  one  of  the  out-spreading  limbs 
of  the  tree,  his  head  bowed,  but  his  face  wearing 
a  mocking,  defiant  grin.  The  rope  had  been 
thrown  over  the  limb  and  several  men  were  hold 
ing  it,  preparatory  to  drawing  it  taut.  Norton 
was  standing  near,  his  face  pale,  his  lips  straight 
and  grim  with  determination.  Apparently 
Hollis  had  arrived  just  in  time. 

None  of  the  men  moved  from  their  places 


THE  RUSTLER  233 

when  Hollis  dismounted,  but  all  looked  at  him 
as  though  expecting  him  to  express  approval  of 
what  they  were  about  to  do.  Several  lowered 
their  gaze  with  embarrassment  when  they  saw, 
that  he  did  not  approve. 

"What  is  all  this  about,  Norton?"  he 
asked,  speaking  to  the  latter,  who  had  stepped 
forward  and  now  stood  beside  Greasy.  What 
ever  excitement  had  resulted  from  the  sudden 
discovery  that  his  men  had  captured  a  rustler 
and  were  about  to  hang  him,  together  with  the 
strain  of  his  hard  ride  to  the  cottonwood,  had  dis 
appeared,  and  Hollis's  voice  was  quiet  as  he  ad 
dressed  his  range  boss. 

Norton  smiled  grimly.  "  We  were  roundin* 
up  a  few  strays  just  the  other  side  of  the  Nar 
rows  this  morning,  and  Ace  and  Weary  were 
workin'  down  the  river.  In  that  little  stretch  of 
gully  just  the  other  side  of  the  Narrows  they 
came  upon  this  sneak  brandin'  two  of  our  beeves 
through  a  piece  of  wet  blanket.  He'd  already 
done  it  an'  so  we  ketched  him  with  the  goods. 
It's  the  first  time  we've  ever  been  able  to  lay  a 
hand  on  one  of  Dunlavey's  pluguglies,  an'  we 
was  figgerin'  on  makin'  an  example  of  him." 

Hollis  met  Norton's  grim  gaze  and  smiled. 
"  I  want  to  thank  you — all  of  you,  for  guarding 
my  interests  so  zealously,"  he  said.  "  There  is 


234     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

no  doubt  that  this  man  richly  deserves  hanging 
— that  is,  of  course,  according  to  your  code  of 
ethics.  I  understand  that  is  the  way  things  have 
been  done  heretofore.  But  I  take  it  none  of  you 
want  to  make  me  appear  ridiculous?  " 

"  Sure  not,"  came  several  voices  in  chorus. 

Hollis  laughed.  "  But  you  took  the  surest 
way  of  making  me  appear  so,"  he  returned. 

He  saw  Norton's  face  flush  and  he  knew  that 
the  latter  had  already  grasped  the  significance  of 
his  words.  But  the  others,  simpler  of  mind,  rea 
soning  by  no  involved  process,  looked  at  him, 
plainly  puzzled.  He  would  have  to  explain 
more  fully  to  them.  He  did  so.  When  he  had 
shown  them  that  in  hanging  the  rustler  he  would 
be  violating  the  principle  that  he  had  elected  to 
defend,  they  stood  before  him  abashed,  thor 
oughly  disarmed.  All  except  Ace.  The  poet's 
mind  was  still  active. 

"  I  reckon  you  might  say  you  didn't  know 
nothin'  about  us  hangin'  him?"  he  suggested. 

"  So  I  might,"  returned  Hollis.  "  But  people 
would  not  think  so.  And  there  is  my  conscience. 
It  wouldn't  be  such  a  weight  upon  it — the  hang 
ing  of  this  man ;  I  believe  I  would  enjoy  standing 
here  and  watching  him  stretch  your  rope.  But 
I  would  not  be  able  to  reconcile  the  action  with 
the  principle  for  which  I  am  fighting.  I  believe 


THE   RUSTLER  235 

none  of  you  men  would  trust  me  very  much  if 
I  advocated  the  law  one  day  and  broke  it  the 
next.  The  application  of  this  principle  would 
be  much  the  same  as  if  I  stole  a  horse  to-day  and 
to-morrow  had  you  arrested  for  stealing  one." 

"  That's  so,"  they  chorused,  and  fell  silent,  re 
garding  him  with  a  new  interest. 

"  But  what  are  you  goin'  to  do  with  the  cuss? " 
queried  one  man. 

"  We  have  a  sheriff  in  Dry  Bottom,  I  ex 
pect?"  questioned  Hollis. 

Grins  appeared  on  the  faces  of  several  of  the 
men;  the  prisoner's  face  lighted. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  one ;  "  I  reckon  Bill  Watkins 
is  the  sheriff  all  right." 

"  Then  we'll  take  him  to  Bill  Watkins,"  de 
cided  Hollis. 

The  grins  on  the  faces  of  several  of  the  men 
grew.  Norton  laughed. 

"  I  reckon  you  ain't  got  acquainted  with  Bill 
yet,  Hollis,"  he  said.  "  Bill  owes  his  place  to 
Dunlavey.  There  has  never  been  a  rustler  con 
victed  by  Watkins  yet.  I  reckon  there  won't 
ever  be  any  convicted — unless  he's  been  caught 
stealin'  Dunlavey's  cattle.  Bill's  justice  is  a 
joke." 

Hollis  smiled  grimly.  He  had  learned  that 
much  from  Judge  Graney.  He  did  not  expect 


236     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

to  secure  justice,  but  he  wished  to  have  some 
thing  tangible  upon  which  to  work  to  force  the 
law  into  the  country.  His  duty  in  the  matter 
consisted  only  in  delivering  the  prisoner  into 
the  custody  of  the  authorities,  which  in  this  case 
was  the  sheriff.  The  sheriff  would  be  held  re 
sponsible  for  him.  He  said  this  much  to  the 
men.  There  was  no  other  lawful  way. 

He  was  not  surprised  that  they  agreed  with 
him.  They  had  had  much  experience  in  dealing 
with  Dunlavey;  they  had  never  been  successful 
with  the  old  methods  of  warfare  and  they  were 
quite  willing  to  trust  to  Hollis's  judgment. 

"  I  reckon  you're  just  about  right,"  said  one 
who  had  spoken  before.  "  Stringin'  this  guy  up 
would  finish  him  all  right.  But  that  wouldn't 
settle  the  thing.  What's  needed  is  to  get  it  fixed 
up  for  good  an'  all." 

"Correct!"  agreed  Hollis;  "you've  got  it 
exactly.  We  might  hang  a  dozen  men  for  steal 
ing  cattle  and  we  could  go  on  hanging  them. 
We've  got  no  right  to  hang  anyone — we've  got  a 
law  for  that  purpose.  Then  let  us  make  the  law 
act!" 

The  prisoner  had  stood  in  his  place,  watching 
the  men  around  him,  his  face  betraying  varying 
emotions.  When  it  had  been  finally  agreed  to 
take  him  to  Dry  Bottom  and  deliver  him  over  to 


THE  RUSTLER  237 

the  sheriff  he  grinned  broadly.  But  he  said 
nothing  as  they  took  the  rope  from  around  his 
neck,  forced  him  to  mount  a  horse  and  surround 
ing  him,  rode  out  of  the  cottonwood  toward  the 
Circle  Bar  ranchhouse. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

THE  TENTH  DAY 

DUSK  had  fallen  by  the  time  Greasy  had 
been  brought  to  the  bunkhouse,  and  Mrs. 
Norton  had  lighted  the  kerosene  lamps 
when  Norton  and  Hollis,  assured  of  the  safety 
of  the  prisoner,  left  the  bunkhouse  and  went  into 
the  house  for  supper.  Potter  had  washed  the 
dust  of  travel  from  him  and  when  Norton  and 
Hollis  arrived  he  was  seated  on  the  porch,  await 
ing  them.  Mrs.  Norton  greeted  them  with  a 
smile.  Her  eyes  expressed  gratitude  as  they 
met  Hollis's. 

"I  am  so  glad  you  were  in  time,"  she  said. 
"  I  told  Neil  not  to  do  it,  but  he  was  determined 
and  wouldn't  listen  to  me.'* 

"  You  might  have  tried  *  bossing '  him,"  sug 
gested  Hollis,  remembering  his  range  boss's 
words  on  the  occasion  of  his  first  meeting  with 
Norton's  wife.  He  looked  straight  at  Norton, 
his  eyes  narrowing  quizzically.  *  You  know 
you  told  me  once  that " 

"  Mebbe  I  was  stretchin'  things  a  little  when 

238 


THE   TENTH   DAY  239 

I  told  you  that,"  interrupted  Norton,  grinning 
shamelessly.  "  If  a  man  told  the  truth  all  the 
time  he'd  have  a  hard  time  keepin'  ahead  of  a 
woman." 

" '  Woman — she    don't    need    no    footer/ ' 
quoted  Hollis.     "  It  has  taken  you  a  long  time 
to  discover  what  Ace  has  apparently  known  for 
years.    And  Ace  is  only  a  bachelor." 

Norton's  eyes  lighted.  "  You're  gettin'  back 
at  me  for  what  I  said  to  you  the  day  before  yes 
terday — when  you  stopped  off  at  Hazelton's," 
he  declared.  "  All  the  same  you'll  know  more 
about  women  when  you've  had  more  experience 
with  them.  When  I  told  you  that  I'd  been 
*  bossed/  I  didn't  mean  that  I'd  been  bossed 
regular.  No  woman  that  knows  just  how  much 
she  can  run  a  man  ever  lets  him  know  that  she's 
bossin'  him.  Mebbe  she'll  act  like  she's  lettin' 
him  have  his  own  way.  But  she's  bossin'  him 
just  the  same.  He  sort  of  likes  it,  I  reckon. 
At  least  it's  only  when  a  man  gets  real  mad  that 
he  does  a  little  bossin'  on  his  own  account.  And 
then,  like  as  not,  he'll  find  that  he's  made  a  big 
mistake.  Like  I  did  to-day  about  hangin'  Greasy, 
for  instance." 

Hollis  bowed  gravely  to  Mrs.  Norton.  "  I 
think  he  ought  to  be  forgiven,  Mrs.  Norton,"  he 
said.  "  Day  before  yesterday  he  presumed  to 


240    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

lecture  me  on  the  superiority  of  the  married  male 
over  the  unmarried  one.  And  now  he  humbly 
admits  to  being  bossed.  What  then  becomes  of 
his  much  talked  of  superiority?  Shall  I — free 
and  unbossed — admit  inferiority?  " 

Mrs.  Norton  smiled  wisely  as  she  moved 
around  the  table,  arranging  the  dishes.  "  I 
couldn't  decide  that,"  she  said,  "  until  it  is  ex 
plained  to  me  why  so  many  men  are  apparently 
so  eager  to  engage  a  boss." 

"  I  reckon  that  settles  that  argument ! " 
gloated  Norton. 

Had  this  conversation  taken  place  two 
months  before  Hollis  might  have  answered, 
Why,  indeed,  were  men  so  eager  to  engage  a 
boss?  Two  months  before  he  might  have  an 
swered  cynically,  remembering  the  unhappiness 
of  his  parents.  That  he  did  not  answer  now 
showed  that  he  was  no  longer  cynical;  that  he 
had  experienced  a  change  of  heart. 

Of  course  Mrs.  Norton  knew  this — Norton 
must  have  told  her.  He  could  appreciate  the 
subtle  mockery  that  had  suggested  the  question, 
but  he  did  not  purpose  to  allow  Norton  to  sit 
there  and  enjoy  the  confusion  that  was  sure  to 
overtake  him  did  he  attempt  to  continue  the 
argument  with  Mrs.  Norton.  He  was  quite  cer 
tain  that  Norton  anticipated  such  an  outcome. 


THE   TENTH  DAY  241 

"  Perhaps  Norton  can  answer  that?  "  he  sug 
gested  mildly. 

"  I  ain't  no  good  at  guessin'  riddles,"  jeered 
Norton.  "  But  I  reckon  you  know — if  you 
wanted  to  tell." 

But  Hollis  did  not  tell,  and  the  conversation 
shifted  to  other  subjects.  After  supper  they 
went  out  upon  the  porch.  A  slight  breeze  had 
sprung  up  with  the  dusk,  though  the  sky  was 
still  cloudless.  At  ten  o'clock,  when  they  re 
tired,  the  breeze  had  increased  in  velocity,  sigh 
ing  mournfully  through  the  trees  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  ranchhouse,  though  there  was  no  per 
ceptible  change  in  the  atmosphere — it  seemed 
that  the  wind  was  merely  shifting  the  heat  waves 
from  one  point  to  another. 

"  A  good,  decent  rain  would  save  lots  of 
trouble  to-morrow,"  said  Norton  as  he  and  Hol 
lis  stood  on  the  porch,  taking  a  last  look  at  the 
sky  before  going  to  bed. 

"  Do  you  really  think  Dunlavey  will  carry  out 
his  threat?"  questioned  Hollis.  "Somehow  I 
can't  help  but  think  that  he  was  bluffing  when  he 
said  it."  • 

"  He  don't  do  much  bluffin',"  declared  Nor 
ton.  "  At  least  he  ain't  done  much  up  to 


now." 


But  there  is  plenty  of  water  in  the  Rabbit- 


242     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

Ear,"  returned  Hollis;  "  plenty  for  all  the  cattle 
that  are  here  now." 

Norton  flashed  a  swift  glance  at  him.  "  That's 
because  you  don't  know  this  country,"  he  said. 
"  Four  years  ago  we  had  a  dry  spell.  Not  so 
bad  as  this,  but  bad  enough.  The  Rabbit-Ear 
held  up  good  enough  for  two  months.  Then 
she  went  dry  sudden.  There  wasn't  water 
enough  in  her  to  fill  a  thimble.  I  reckon  you 
ain't  been  watchin'  her  for  the  last  day  or  so?  " 

Hollis  admitted  that  he  had  not  seen  the  river 
within  that  time.  Norton  laughed  shortly. 

"  She's  dry  in  spots  now,"  he  informed  Hollis. 
:<  There  ain't  any  water  at  all  in  the  shallows. 
It's  tricklin'  through  in  some  places,  but  mostly 
there's  nothin'  but  water  holes  an'  dried,  baked 
mud.  In  two  days  more,  if  it  don't  rain,  there 
won't  be  water  enough  for  our  own  stock.  Then 
what? " 

:<  There  will  be  water  for  every  steer  on  the 
range  as  long  as  it  lasts,"  declared  Hollis  grimly. 
"After  that  we'll  all  take  our  medicine  to 
gether." 

"  Good!  "  declared  Norton.  "  That's  what  I 
expected  of  you.  But  I  don't  think  it's  goin'  to 
work  out  that  way.  Weary  was  ridin'  the  Razor 
Back  this  mornin'  and  he  says  he  saw  Dunlavey 
an*  Yuma  and  some  more  Circle  Cross  guys 


THE   TENTH   DAY  243 

nosin'  around  behind  some  brush  on  the  other 
side  of  the  creek.  They  all  had  rifles." 

Hollis's  face  paled  slightly.  "  Where  are  the 
other  men — Train  and  the  rest? "  he  inquired. 

"  Down  on  Razor  Back,"  Norton  informed 
him;  "they  sneaked  down  there  after  Weary 
told  me  about  seein'  Dunlavey  on  the  other  side. 
Likely  they're  scattered  by  now — keepin'  an  eye 
out  for  trouble." 

'  Well,"  decided  Hollis,  "  there  isn't  any  use 
of  looking  for  it.  It  finds  all  of  us  soon  enough. 
To-morrow  is  the  tenth  day  and  I  am  sure  that 
if  Dunlavey  carries  out  his  threat  he  won't  start 
anything  until  to-morrow.  Therefore  I  am  go 
ing  to  bed."  He  laughed.  "  Call  me  if  you 
hear  any  shooting.  I  may  want  to  take  a  hand 
in  it." 

They  parted — Hollis  going  to  his  room  and 
Norton  stepping  down  off  the  porch  to  take  a 
turn  down  around  the  pasture  to  look  after  the 
horses. 

Hollis  was  tired  after  his  experiences  of  the 
day  and  soon  dropped  off  to  sleep.  It  seemed 
that  he  had  been  asleep  only  a  few  minutes,  how 
ever,  when  he  felt  a  hand  shaking  him,  and  a 
voice — Norton's  voice. 

"Hollis!"  said  the  range  boss.  "Hollis! 
Wake  up!" 


244     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

Hollis  sat  erect,  startled  into  perfect  wakeful- 
ness.  He  could  not  see  Norton's  face  in  the 
dark,  but  he  swung  around  and  sat  on  the  edge 
of  the  bed. 

"What's  up?"  he  demanded.  "Have  they 
started?" 

He  heard  Norton  laugh,  and  there  was  satis 
faction  in  the  laugh.  "  Started?  "  he  repeated. 
"  Well,  I  reckon  something's  started.  Listen!  " 

Hollis  listened.  A  soft  patter  on  the  roof,  a 
gentle  sighing  of  the  wind,  and  a  distant,  low 
rumble  reached  his  ears.  He  started  up. 
'  Why,  it's  raining!  "  he  said. 

Norton  chuckled.  "  Rainin' ! "  he  chirped 
joyously.  "  Well,  I  reckon  it  might  be  called 
that  by  someone  who  didn't  know  what  rain  is. 
But  I'm  tellin'  you  that  it  ain't  rainin' — it's  pour- 
in'  !  It's  a  cloud-burst,  that's  what  it  is !  " 

Hollis  did  not  answer.  He  ran  to  the  window 
and  stuck  his  head  out.  The  rain  came  against 
his  head  and  shoulders  in  stinging,  vicious  slants. 
There  was  little  lightning,  and  what  there  was 
seemed  distant,  as  though  the  storm  covered  a 
vast  area.  He  could  dimly  see  the  pasture — the 
horses  huddled  in  a  corner  under  the  shelter  that 
had  been  erected  for  them ;  he  could  see  the  tops 
of  the  trees  in  the  cottonwood  grove — bending, 
twisting,  leaning  from  the  wind;  the  bunkhouse 


THE   TENTH   DAY  245 

door  was  open,  a  stream  of  light  illuminating  a 
space  in  which  stood  several  of  the  cowboys. 
Some  were  attired  as  usual,  others  but  scantily, 
but  all  were  outside  in  the  rain,  singing,  shouting, 
and  pounding  one  another  in  an  excess  of  joy. 
For  half  an  hour  Hollis  stood  at  the  window, 
watching  them,  looking  out  at  the  storm.  There 
was  no  break  anywhere  in  the  sky  from  horizon 
to  horizon.  Plainly  there  was  to  be  plenty  of 
rain.  Convinced  of  this  he  drew  a  deep  breath 
of  satisfaction,  humor  moving  him. 

"  I  do  hope  Dunlavey  and  his  men  don't  get 
wet,"  he  said.  He  went  to  his  trousers  and  drew 
forth  his  watch.  He  could  not  see  the  face  of  it 
and  so  he  carried  it  to  the  window.  The  hands 
pointed  to  fifteen  minutes  after  one.  "  It's  the 
tenth  day,"  he  smiled.  "  Dunlavey  might  have 
saved  himself  considerable  trouble  in  the  future 
if  he  had  placed  a  little  trust  in  Providence — and 
not  antagonized  the  small  owners.  I  don't  think 
Providence  has  been  looking  out  for  my  inter 
ests,  but  I  wonder  who  will  stand  the  better  in 
the  estimation  of  the  people  of  this  county — 
Dunlavey  or  me? " 

He  smiled  again,  sighed  with  satisfaction,  and 
rolled  into  bed.  For  a  long  time  he  lay,  listen 
ing  to  the  patter  of  the  rain  on  the  roof,  and  then 
dropped  off  to  sleep. 


CHAPTER   XIX 


WHEN  Hollis  got  out  of  bed  at  six  o'clock 
that  same  morning  he  heard  surprising 
sounds  outside.  Slipping  on  his  clothes 
he  went  to  the  window  and  looked  out.  Men 
were  yelling  at  one  another,  screeching  delightful 
oaths,  capering  about  hatless,  coatless,  in  the  rain 
that  still  came  steadily  down.  The  corral  yard 
was  a  mire  of  sticky  mud  in  which  the  horses 
reared  and  plunged  in  evident  appreciation  of 
the  welcome  change  from  dry  heat  to  lifegiving 
moisture.  Riderless  horses  stood  about,  no  one 
caring  about  the  saddles,  several  calves  capered 
awkwardly  in  the  pasture.  Norton's  dog — 
about  which  he  had  joked  to  Hollis  during  the 
latter's  first  ride  to  the  Circle  Bar — was  yelping 
joyously  and  running  madly  from  one  man  to 
another. 

Norton  himself  stood  down  by  the  door  of  the 
bunkhouse,  grinning  with  delight.  Near  him 
stood  Lemuel  Train,  and  several  of  the  other 

246 


HOW  A   RUSTLER   ESCAPED 

small  ranchers  whose  stock  had  grazed  for  more 
than  two  weeks  on  the  Circle  Bar  range  without 
objection  from  Hollis.  They  saw  him  and  mo 
tioned  for  him  to  come  down,  directing  original 
oaths  at  him  for  sleeping  so  late  on  so  "  fine  a 
morning." 

He  dressed  hastily  and  went  down.  They  all 
ate  breakfast  in  the  mess  house,  the  cook  being 
adjured  to  "  spread  it  on  for  all  he  was  worth  " 
— which  he  did.  Certainly  no  one  left  the  mess 
house  hungry.  During  the  meal  Lemuel  Train 
made  a  speech  on  behalf  of  himself  and  the  other 
owners  who  had  enjoyed  Hollis's  hospitality,  as 
suring  him  that  they  were  "  with  him  "  from  now 
on.  Then  they  departed,  each  going  his  separate 
way  to  round  up  his  cattle  and  drive  them  back 
to  the  home  ranch. 

The  rain  continued  throughout  the  day  and 
far  into  the  night.  The  dried,  gasping  country 
absorbed  water  until  it  was  sated  and  then  began 
to  shed  it  off  into  the  arroyos,  the  gullies,  the  de 
pressions,  and  the  river  beds.  Every  hollow 
overflowed  with  it;  it  seemed  there  could  never 
be  another  drought. 

Before  dawn  on  the  following  day  all  the 
small  ranchers  had  departed.  Several  of  them, 
on  their  way  to  their  home  ranches,  stopped  off 
at  the  Circle  Bar  to  shake  hands  with  Hollis  and 


248    THE   COMING  OF   THE  LAW 

assure  him  of  their  appreciation.    Lemuel  Train 
did  not  forget  to  curse  Dunlavey. 

"  We  ain't  likely  to  forget  how  he  stood  on  the 
water  proposition,"  he  said. 

After  Train  had  departed  Norton  stood  look 
ing  after  him.  Then  he  turned  and  looked  at 
Hollis,  his  eyes  narrowing  quizzically.  "  You've 
got  in  right  with  that  crowd,"  he  said.  "  Durned 
if  I  don't  believe  you  knowed  all  the  time  that  it 
was  goin'  to  rain  before  Dunlavey's  tenth  day 
was  over! " 

Hollis  smiled  oddly.  "  Perhaps,"  he  re 
turned  ;  "  there  is  no  law,  moral  or  otherwise,  to 
prevent  a  man  from  looking  a  little  ahead." 

After  breakfast  Hollis  gave  orders  to  have 
Greasy  prepared  for  travel,  and  an  hour  later  he 
and  the  range  boss,  both  armed  with  rifles,  rode 
out  of  the  corral  yard  with  Greasy  riding  be 
tween  them  and  took  the  Dry  Bottom  trail. 

The  earth  had  already  dried;  the  trail  was 
hard,  level,  and  dustless,  and  traveling  was  a 
pleasure.  But  neither  of  the  three  spoke  a  word 
to  one  another  during  the  entire  trip  to  Dry  Bot 
tom.  Greasy  bestrode  his  horse  loosely,  care 
lessly  defiant;  Norton  kept  a  watchful  eye  on 
him,  and  Hollis  rode  steadily,  his  gaze  fixed 
thoughtfully  on  the  trail. 

ten  o'clock  they  rode  into  Dry  Bottom, 


HOW  A   RUSTLER   ESCAPED     249 

There  were  not  many  persons  about,  but  those 
who  were  gave  instant  evidence  of  interest  in  the 
three  by  watching  them  closely  as  they  rode  down 
the  street  to  the  sheriff's  office,  dismounted,  and 
disappeared  inside. 

The  sheriff's  office  was  in  a  little  frame  shanty 
not  over  sixteen  feet  square,  crude  and  un 
finished.  There  were  a  front  and  back  door,  two 
windows — one  in  the  side  facing  the  court  house, 
the  other  in  the  front.  For  furniture  there  were 
a  bench,  two  chairs,  some  shelves,  a  cast  iron 
stove,  a  wooden  box  partly  filled  with  saw-dust 
which  was  used  as  a  cuspidor,  and  a  rough 
wooden  table  which  served  as  a  desk.  In  a  chair 
beside  the  desk  sat  a  tall,  lean-faced  man,  with  a 
nose  that  suggested  an  eagle's  beak,  with  its  high, 
thin,  arched  bridge,  little,  narrowed,  shifting 
eyes,  and  a  hard  mouth  whose  lips  were  partly 
concealed  under  a  drooping,  tobacco-stained 
mustache.  He  turned  as  the  three  men  entered, 
leaning  back  in  his  chair,  his  legs  a-sprawl,  mo 
tioning  them  to  the  chairs  and  the  bench.  They 
filed  in  silently.  Greasy  dropped  carelessly  into 
one  of  the  chairs,  Norton  took  another  near  him, 
but  Hollis  remained  standing. 

'You  are  the  sheriff,  I  suppose?"  inquired 
the  latter. 

The  official  spat  copiously  into  the  wooden  box. 


250     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

without  removing  his  gaze  from  the  three 
visitors. 

'  Yep,"  he  returned  shortly,  his  voice  coming 
with  a  truculent  snap.  "  You  wantin'  the 
sheriff? " 

Hollis  saw  a  swift,  significant  glance  pass  be 
tween  him  and  Greasy  and  he  smiled  slightly. 

'Yes,"  he  returned  quietly;  "we  want  you. 
We  are  delivering  this  man  into  your  custody." 

'  What's  he  done?  "  demanded  the  sheriff. 

"  I  charge  him  with  stealing  two  of  my  steers," 
returned  Hollis.  "  Several  of  my  men  discov 
ered  him  at  work  the  day  before  yesterday 
and " 

"Hold  on  a  minute  now!"  interrupted  the 
sheriff.  "  Let's  git  this  thing  goin'  accordin'  to 
the  law."  He  spat  again  into  the  wooden  box, 
cocked  his  head  sideways  and  surveyed  Hollis 
with  a  glance  in  which  there  was  much  insolence 
and  contempt.  "  Who  might  you  be?  "  he  ques 
tioned. 

"  My  name  is  Hollis,"  returned  the  latter 
quietly,  his  eyes  meeting  the  other's  steadily.  "  I 
own  the  Circle  Bar." 

"H'm!"  The  sheriff  crossed  his  legs  and 
stuck  his  thumbs  into  the  arm-holes  of  his  vest, 
revealing  a  nickle-plated  star  on  the  lapel  of  the 
latter.  "  H'm.  Your  name's  Hollis,  an'  you 


own  the  Circle  Bar.  Seems  I've  heard  of  you." 
He  squinted  his  eyes  at  Hollis.  "  You're  Jim 
Hollis's  boy,  ain't  you?  "  His  eyes  flashed  with 
a  sudden,  contemptuous  light.  "  Tenderfoot, 
ain't  you?  Come  out  here  to  try  an'  show  folks 
how  to  run  things?  " 

Hollis's  face  slowly  paled.  He  saw  Greasy 
grinning.  "  I  suppose  it  makes  little  difference 
to  you  what  I  am  or  what  I  came  out  here  for," 
he  said  quietly;  "  though,  if  I  were  to  be  required 
to  give  an  opinion  I  should  say  that  there  is  room 
for  improvement  in  this  county  in  the  matter  of 
applying  its  laws." 

The  sheriff  laughed  harshly.  '  You'll  know 
more  about  this  country  after  you've  been  here  a 
while,"  he  sneered. 

"  Mebbe  he'll  know  more  about  how  to  run  a 
law  shebang,  too,"  dryly  observed  Norton, 
"  after  he's  watched  Bill  Watkins  run  her  a 
little." 

"  I  don't  reckon  anyone  ast  you  to  stick  your 
gab  in  this  here  affair?  "  demanded  the  sheriff  of 
Norton. 

"  No,"  returned  Norton,  drawling,  "  no  one 
asked  me.  But  while  we're  handin'  out  compli 
ments  we  might  as  well  all  have  a  hand  in  it.  It 
strikes  me  that  when  a  man's  runnin'  a  law  shop 
he  ought  to  run  her." 


252     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

"  I  reckon  I'll  run  her  without  any  help  from 
you,  Norton!  "  snapped  the  sheriff. 

"  Why,  sure!  "  agreed  the  latter,  his  gaze  level 
as  his  eyes  met  the  sheriff's,  his  voice  even  and 
sarcastic.  "But  I'm  tellin'  you  that  this  man's 
my  friend  an'  if  there's  any  more  of  them  com 
pliments  goin'  to  be  handed  around  I'm  warnin' 
you  that  you  want  to  hand  them  out  soft  an* 
gentle  like.  That's  all.  I  reckon  we  c'n  now 
proceed." 

The  sheriff's  face  bloated  poisonously.  He 
flashed  a  malignant  glance  at  Hollis.  "  Well," 
he  snapped,  "  what's  the  charge?  " 

"  I  have  already  told  you,"  returned  Hollis. 
"  It  is  stealing  cattle." 

"  How  stealin'  them?  "  demanded  the  Sheriff 
truculenty. 

"  Changing  the  brand,"  Hollis  informed  him. 
He  related  how  Ace  and  Weary  had  come  upon 
the  prisoner  while  the  latter  was  engaged  in 
changing  his  brand  to  the  Circle  Cross. 

'  They  see  him  brandin'  ? "  questioned  the 
sheriff  when  Hollis  had  concluded. 

Hollis  told  him  that  the  two  men  had  come 
upon  Greasy  after  the  brand  had  been  applied, 
but  that  the  cattle  bore  the  Circle  Bar  ear-mark, 
and  that  Greasy  had  built  a  fire  and  that  brand 
ing  irons  had  been  found  in  his  possession — 


which  he  had  tried  to  hide  when  discovered  by 
the  Circle  Bar  men. 

'''  Then  your  men  didn't  really  see  him  doin' 
the  brandin'?  "  questoined  Watkins. 

Hollis  was  forced  to  admit  that  they  had  not. 
Watkins  smiled  sarcastically. 

"  I  reckon  you're  runnin'  a  little  bit  wild,"  he 
remarked.  "  Some  of  your  stock  has  been  re- 
branded  an'  you're  chargin'  a  certain  man  with 
doin'  it — only  you  didn't  see  him  doin'  it."  He 
turned  to  Greasy.  "  What  you  got  to  say  about 
this,  Greasy?  "  he  demanded. 

Greasy  grinned  blandly  at  Hollis.  "  This 
guy's  talkin'  through  his  hat,"  he  sneered.  "  I 
ain't  allowin'  that  I  branded  any  of  his  cattle." 

Watkins  smiled.  '  There  don't  seem  to  be 
nothin'  to  this  case  a-tall — not  a-tall.  There 
ain't  nobody  goin'  to  be  took  into  custody  by  me 
for  stealin'  cattle  unless  they're  ketched  with  the 
goods — an'  that  ain't  been  proved  so  far."  He 
turned  to  Hollis.  "  You  got  anything  more  to 
say  about  it? "  he  demanded. 

"  Only  this,"  returned  Hollis  slowly  and 
evenly,  "  I  have  brought  this  man  here.  I 
charge  him  with  stealing  my  cattle.  To  use  your 
term — he  was  caught  '  with  the  goods.'  He  is 
guilty.  If  you  take  him  into  custody  and  bring 
him  to  trial  I  shall  have  two  witnesses  there  to 


prove  what  I  have  already  told  you.  If  you  do 
not  take  him  into  custody,  it  is  perfectly  plain 
that  you  are  deliberately  shielding  him — that  you 
are  making  a  joke  of  the  law." 

Watkins's  face  reddened  angrily.  "  Mebbe 
I'm  makin'  a  joke  of  it "  he  began. 

"  Of  course  we  can't  force  you  to  arrest  this 
man,"  resumed  Hollis,  interrupting  Watkins. 
"  Unfortunately  the  government  has  not  yet 
awakened  to  the  fact  that  such  men  as  you  are  a 
public  menace  and  danger.  I  did  not  expect 
you  to  arrest  him — I  tell  you  that  frankly.  I 
merely  brought  him  here  to  see  whether  it  were 
true  that  you  were  leagued  with  Dunlavey 
against  the  other  ranchers  in  the  country.  You 
are,  of  course.  Therefore,  as  we  cannot  secure 
justice  by  appealing  to  you  we  will  be  forced  to 
adopt  other  means." 

The  sheriff's  right  hand  dropped  to  his  gun- 
holster.  He  sneered,  his  lips  writhing.  "  Meb 
be  you  mean "  he  began. 

"  I  ain't  lettin'  this  here  situation  get  beyond 
my  control,"  came  Norton's  voice,  cold  and  even, 
as  his  six-shooter  came  out  and  was  shoved 
menacingly  forward.  "  Whatever  he  means, 
Watkins,  he's  my  friend  an'  you  ain't  runnin' 
in  no  cold  lead  proposition  on  him."  He  smiled 
mirthlessly. 


HOW,  A   RUSTLER   ESCAPED      255 

Watkins's  face  paled ;  his  right  hand  fell  away 
from  the  pistol  holster.  There  was  a  sound  at 
the  door;  it  swung  suddenly  open  and  Dun- 
layey's  gigantic  frame  loomed  massively  in  the 
opening. 

"  I'm  looking  for  Greasy !  "  he  announced  in  a 
soft,  silky  voice,  looking  around  at  the  four  men 
with  a  comprehending,  appreciative  smile.  "  I 
was  expecting  to  find  him  here,"  he  added  as  his 
gaze  sought  out  the  prisoner,  "  after  I  heard  that 
he'd  been  nabbed  by  the  Circle  Bar  men." 

Norton  smiled  coldly.  "  He's  here,  Bill,"  he 
said  evenly.  "  He's  stayin'  here  till  Mr.  Hollis 
says  it's  time  for  him  to  go." 

He  did  not  move  the  weapon  in  his  hand,  but  a 
certain  glint  in  his  eyes  told  Dunlavey  that  the 
pistol  was  not  in  his  hand  for  mere  show.  The 
latter  smiled  knowingly. 

"  I'm  not  interfering  with  the  law,"  he  said 
mockingly.  "  And  I  certainly  ain't  bucking 
your  game,  Norton."  He  turned  to  Watkins, 
speaking  with  broad  insinuation:  "Of  course 
you  are  putting  a  charge  against  Greasy,  Wat- 
kins?  "  he  said. 

They  all  caught  the  sheriff's  flush ;  all  saw  the 
guilty  embarrassment  in  his  eyes  as  he  answered 
that  he  had  not.  Dunlavey  turned  to  Hollis 
with  a  bland  smile. 


256    THE   COMING  OF  THE  LAW 

"  Have  you  any  objection  to  allowing  Greasy 
to  go  now,  Mr.  Hollis? " 

Hollis's  smile  was  no  less  bland  as  his  gaze 
met  Dunlavey's.  "  Not  the  slightest  objection, 
Mr.  Dunlavey,"  he  returned.  "  I  congratulate 
you  upon  the  manner  in  which  you  have  trained 
your  servants ! "  He  ignored  Dunlavey  and 
smiled  at  Norton.  "  Mr.  Norton,"  he  said  with 
polite  mockery,  "  I  feel  certain  that  you  agree 
with  me  that  we  have  no  wish  to  contaminate  this 
temple  of  justice  with  our  presence." 

He  bowed  with  mock  politeness  as  he  strode 
to  the  door  and  stepped  down  into  the  street. 
Norton  followed  him,  grinning,  though  he  did 
not  sheath  his  weapon  until  he  also  was  in  the 
street. 

As  they  strode  away  from  the  door  they 
turned  to  see  Dunlavey  looking  out  after  them, 
his  face  wreathed  in  a  broad  smile. 

"  There  is  plenty  of  law  in  Union  County,  Mr. 
Hollis,"  he  said,  "  if  you  know  how  to  handle  it ! " 


CHAPTER   XX 


THE  "KICKER'S"  CANDIDATE 


THE  next  issue  of  the  Kicker  contained 
many  things  of  interest  to  its  readers. 
Now  that  the  drought  had  been  broken, 
Union  County  could  proceed  with  its  business  of 
raising  cattle  without  fear  of  any  future  lack  of 
water,  with  plenty  of  grass,  and  no  losses  except 
those  from  the  usual  causes.  Dry  Bottom  mer 
chants — depending  upon  the  cattlemen  for  their 
trade — breathed  easier  and  predicted  a  good  year 
in  spite  of  the  drought.  Their  worries  over,  they 
had  plenty  of  time — and  inclination — to  discuss 
the  Kicker. 

More  advertisements  were  appearing  in  the 
paper.  Dry  Bottom  merchants  were  beginning 
to  realize  that  it  deserved  their  support,  and  with 
few  exceptions  they  openly  began  to  voice  their 
opinions  that  the  editor  would  "make  good." 
The  advertisements  began  to  take  on  a  livelier 
tone  and  the  Lazette  Eagle  grew  more  sarcastic. 

When  the  Kicker  appeared  following  the  inci- 

257 


258     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

dent  in  the  sheriff's  office,  there  was  a  detailed 
account  of  Dunlavey's  now  famous  "  ten  day 
edict,"  together  with  some  uncomplimentary 
comments  upon  the  latter's  action.  This  was 
signed  by  Hollis.  He  called  attention  to  Dun 
lavey's  selfishness,  to  the  preparations  that  had 
been  made  by  him  to  shoot  down  all  the  foreign 
cattle  on  the  Rabbit-Ear.  He  made  no  refer 
ence  to  his  part  in  the  affair — to  his  decision  to 
allow  the  small  ranchers  to  water  their  cattle  in 
the  river  at  the  imminent  risk  of  losing  his  own. 
But  though  he  did  not  mention  this,  the  small 
owners  and  his  friends  took  care  that  the  matter 
received  full  publicity,  with  the  result  that  Hollis 
was  kept  busy  assuring  his  admirers  that  the  in 
cident  had  been  much  magnified — especially  his 
part  of  it.  Then  his  friends  applauded  his 
modesty. 

In  the  same  issue  of  the  paper  was  also  related 
the  story  of  Greasy 's  capture  by  the  Circle  Bar 
men.  But  in  telling  this  story  Hollis  was  not  so 
modest,  for  he  spoke  frankly  of  his  part  in  it — 
how  he  had  refused  to  allow  his  men  to  hang  the 
thief,  telling  his  readers  that  though  Greasy  de 
served  hanging,  he  did  not  purpose  to  violate 
the  law  while  advocating  it.  Following  the 
story  of  the  capture  was  a  detailed  report  of  the 
incident  in  the  sheriff's  office  and  a  scathing  com- 


THE  "KICKER'S"   CANDIDATE     250 

mentary  upon  the  subservience  of  the  latter  offi 
cial  to  Dunlavey's  will.  The  article  was  en 
titled:  "Handling  the  Law,"  and  Dunlavey's 
exact  words  when  he  stood  in  the  door  of  the 
sheriff's  office  as  Hollis  and  Norton  departed 
were  repeated. 

Below  this,  under  the  rubric,  "  Union  County 
Needs  a  New  Sheriff,"  appeared  an  article  that 
created  a  sensation.  This  dwelt  upon  the  neces 
sity  of  the  county  having  a  sheriff  who  would 
not  permit  his  office  to  be  prostituted  by  any  man 
or  influence.  The  Kicker  named  a  man  who 
would  not  be  bribed  or  cowed  and  declared  that 
his  name  would  appear  on  the  ballot  at  the  next 
election — to  be  held  on  the  first  Monday  in  Nov 
ember.  At  the  end  of  the  article  he  printed  the 
man's  name — Ben  Allen! 

He  had  made  this  announcement  without  au 
thority,  and  therefore  he  was  not  surprised,  soon 
after  the  appearance  of  the  issue  containing  the 
article,  to  see  Allen's  tall  figure  darken  the  door 
of  the  Kicker  office  while  he  sat  at  his  desk. 

"  Durn  your  hide !  "  cried  the  latter  as  he  stood 
in  the  doorway;  "  you're  the  biggest  disturber  in 
seven  states ! " 

"  Perhaps,"  smiled  Hollis,  motioning  Allen  to 
a  chair.  "  Still,  you  don't  need  to  thank  me. 
You  see,  I  have  decided  to  clean  up  this  county 


260    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

and  I  need  some  help.  I  supposed  you  were 
interested.  Of  course  you  may  refuse  if  you 
like." 

"  Refuse ! "  Allen's  eyes  flashed  as  he  took 
Hollis's  hand  and  wrung  it  heartily.  "  My 
boy,"  he  declared  earnestly,  "  you  couldn't  have 
done  anything  to  suit  me  better.  I'm  just 
yearning  to  take  a  big  hand  in  this  game ! " 

"  Interesting,  isn't  it?  "  smiled  Hollis. 

"  Some,"  returned  Allen.  He  grasped  Hol 
lis's  hand  and  wrung  it  heartily.  "  You're  a 
winner  and  I'm  mighty  glad  to  be  able  to  work 
with  you."  He  spoke  seriously.  "  Do  you 
think  there's  a  chance  for  us  to  beat  Dunlavey?  " 

Hollis  laughed.  "  I  flatter  myself  that  a  cer 
tain  editor  in  this  town  stands  rather  well  with 
the  people  of  this  county  since  a  certain  thing 
happened." 

"You  sure  do!"  grinned  Allen.  "Lordy! 
how  this  county  has  needed  a  man  like  you ! " 

Hollis  smiled.  "  Then  you  won't  object  to 
being  the  Kicker's  candidate? "  he  inquired. 

"  Object!  "  returned  Allen  with  mock  serious 
ness.  "  Say,  young  man,  if  you  don't  keep  my 
name  at  the  head  of  your  editorial  column  from 
now  till  the  first  Monday  in  November  I'll  come 
down  here  and  manhandle  you !  " 

And  so  it  was  arranged.     Dry  Bottom  gasped 


THE   "KICKEK'S"   CANDIDATE     261 

in  publis  but  rejoiced  in  secret.  Many  of  the 
town's  merchants  personally  congratulated  Hol- 
lis. 

But  for  two  days  following  the  appearance  of 
the  issue  of  the  Kicker  containing  these  sensa 
tions,  Hollis  stayed  away  from  Dry  Bottom. 
Now  that  he  had  launched  Allen's  campaign  and 
placed  the  other  matters  before  his  readers,  he 
began  to  devote  some  attention  to  the  problem  of 
arranging  for  Ed  Hazelton's  visit  to  the  great 
Chicago  surgeon.  Both  Nellie  and  Ed  had  been 
disappointed  because  of  his  continued  absence, 
and  when,  on  an  afternoon  a  few  days  after  his 
activity  in  Dry  Bottom,  he  rode  up  to  the  Hazel- 
ton  cabin  his  welcome  was  a  cordial  one. 

"It  seems  like  a  year  since  I've  seen  you!" 
declared  Hazelton  as  he  came  down  from  the 
porch  to  lead  Hollis's  pony  into  the  shade  at  the 
rear  of  the  cabin. 

While  he  was  gone  with  the  pony  Hollis  stood 
looking  up  at  Nellie,  who  had  remained  seated  in 
her  chair  on  the  porch  and  who  was  now  regard 
ing  him  with  eyes  in  which  shone  unconcealed 
pleasure. 

"  It  hasn't  really  been  so  long,  you  know,"  said 
Hollis,  smiling  at  her.  "  But  then,  I  have  been 
so  busy  that  I  may  not  have  noticed  it." 

Of  course  she  could  not  tell  him  how  many" 


262     THE   COMING   OF.   THE  LAW 

times  she  had  sat  on  the  porch  during  Ed's  ab 
sences  watching  the  Coyote  trail.  But  she 
blushed  and  made  room  for  him  on  the  porch. 
Ed  appeared  presently  and  joined  them  there. 
The  young  man  was  not  able  to  conceal  his  joy] 
over  the  prospect  of  his  ultimate  recovery  from 
the  peculiar  malady  that  afflicted  him,  and  grati 
tude  mingled  with  it  as  he  looked  at  his  bene 
factor.  He  had  not  recovered  from  an  attack 
the  day  before. 

:*  We've  got  it  all  arranged,"  he  told  Hollis 
with  a  wan  smile.  "  I'm  going  to  Chicago  just 
as  soon  as  I  can  get  things  fixed."  He  reddened 
with  embarrassment  as  he  continued:  "  There's 
some  things  that  I'd  like  to  talk  to  you  about 
before  I  make  up  my  mind  when  to  start,"  he 
said ;  "  I've  been  worrying  about  what  to  do  with 
my  stock  while  I'm  gone.  I  wouldn't  want  it  to 
stray  or  be  run  off  by  Dunlavey's  gang."  The 
appeal  in  his  eyes  did  not  escape  Hollis's  keen 
observation. 

"  I  have  thought  of  that  too,"  smiled  the  latter. 
"  In  fact,  I  have  talked  it  over  with  Norton.  He 
tells  me  that  he  won't  have  any  trouble  in  caring 
for  your  stock  while  you  are  away." 

"  Thanks."  Hazelton  did  not  trust  himself 
to  say  more  at  that  moment.  He  knew  how 
great  would  be  the  task  of  caring  for  his  stock 


THE   "KICKER'S"   CANDIDATE     263 

during  his  absence,  and  had  not  Hollis  come  to 
his  aid  with  this  offer  he  would  have  had  to  give 
up  the  proposed  trip.  He  sat  silent  until  his 
composure  returned,  and  then  he  looked  up  at 
Hollis  gratefully. 

"  That  will  make  things  much  easier  for 
Nellie,"  he  said.  And  then,  remembering  that 
Hollis  knew  nothing  of  his  intention  to  ask  him 
for  permission  to  allow  Nellie  to  remain  at  the 
Circle  Bar  during  his  absence,  he  fell  silent 
again. 

"  Easier?  "  inquired  Hollis,  puzzled.  He  had 
supposed  that  Nellie  would  accompany  her 
brother  to  Chicago.  He  did  not  look  at  either 
of  the  two  for  a  time.  He  had  been  anticipating 
a  period  of  lonesomeness  and  this  unexpected 
news  came  like  a  bright  shaft  of  light  into  the 
darkness. 

"But  you  can't  allow  her  to  stay  at  the  cabin 
alone ! "  he  said  when  Ed  did  not  answer. 
And  then  the  thought  struck  him  that  this 
peculiar  silence  on  Ed's  part  could  mean  only 
one  thing — that  he  and  Nellie  had  decided  that 
she  was  not  to  accompany  him,  and  that  the  prob 
lem  that  was  now  confronting  them — since  he 
had  told  them  that  his  men  would  care  for  the 
cattle — was  the  girl's  welfare.  He  appreciated 
the  situation  and  smiled  wisely  into  the  yawning 


264    THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

distance.  But  a  deep  sympathy  made  the  smile 
grim. 

"  I  have  sometimes  wondered  how  it  were  pos 
sible  for  a  woman  to  live  in  this  country  without 
having  close  at  hand  one  of  her  sex  with  whom  to 
gossip,"  he  remarked,  looking  at  Ed  and  deliber 
ately  closing  an  eye  at  him.  "  It  doesn't  bother 
a  man  so  much — this  being  alone.  If  he  is  a 
drinking  man  there  are  the  saloons;  if  a  poet  he 
may  write  wise  saws  concerning  the  inconstancy 
of  women;  he  may  punch  cows,  another  man's 
head — or  run  a  newspaper.  In  any  case  his 
mind  is  occupied. 

"  But  a  woman !  Of  course  it  is  different  with 
a  woman.  A  woman  must  talk — she  simply 
can't  help  it.  There's  Mrs.  Norton.  Only  this 
morning  I  chanced  to  hear  her  remark  to  her 
lord  and  master  that  if  he  did  not  soon  provide 
her  with  a  companion  with  whom  she  might  dis 
cuss  the  things  which  are  dear  to  the  feminine 
heart,  he  might  as  well  make  up  his  mind  to 
requisition  the  mourners.  All  of  which  suggests 
the  thought  that  perhaps  it  would  not  be  a  bad 
idea  for  Miss  Hazelton  to  bundle  up  her  things 
and  advance  on  the  Circle  Bar.  Thus  two  ends 
will  be  served — Mrs.  Norton  will  secure  her  com 
panion  and  Norton  will  find  peace."  He  turned 
to  Nellie.  "  Of  course  if  you  are  afraid  that  the 


cabin  will  stray  during  your  absence  I  could 
manage  to  ride  the  Coyote  trail  each  morning 
and  evening — or  you  could  ride  over  yourself  oc 
casionally." 

He  could  tell  by  the  light  in  her  eyes  that  she 
was  pleased  over  the  suggestion.  He  was  sure 
of  it  when  she  smiled  at  him. 

"  If  you  really  think  that  Mrs.  Norton  would 

like  some  one  to  talk  to "  she  began,  and  then 

hesitated,  her  eyes  suddenly  widening  as  she 
saw  an  odd  light  in  his.  "Oh!"  she  said,  "it 
isn't  true  about  Mrs.  Norton  wanting  to  talk. 
You  have  guessed  that  I — that  Ed — wanted  me 

to  go "  But  confusion  descended  upon  her 

and  she  flushed  crimson  with  embarrassment. 

"  If  you  think  it  isn't  true,  why  don't  you  ride 
over  to  the  Circle  Bar  and  inquire?"  he  smiled. 

"  Perhaps  I  may,"  she  replied,  looking  at  him 
in  mock  defiance. 

As  a  precaution  against  the  carrying  out  of 
this  threat,  Hollis  that  night  acquainted  Mrs. 
Norton  with  the  facts  in  the  case,  even  going  so 
far  as  to  inform  the  lady  brazenly  that  he  had  de 
liberately  lied  about  her.  But  when  she  had 
been  fully  informed,  she  told  Hollis  that  she  did 
not  blame  him  very  much,  and  that  should  Nellie 
carry  out  her  threat  to  come  to  her  upon  an  er 
rand  having  as  its  object  a  question  of  his  verac- 


ity,  she  would  assure  the  young  lady  that  he  had 
spoken  the  plain  truth.  Would  that  be  suffi 
cient? 

Hollis  told  her  that  it  would,  and  the  following 
morning  on  his  way  to  Dry  Bottom,  he  took  the 
Coyote  trail  and  stopped  off  at  the  Hazelton 
cabin,  where  he  informed  Ed  that  he  had  decided 
to  send  Weary  with  him  on  his  trip  to  Chicago. 

Nellie  spoke  a  few  words  to  him  while  he  lin 
gered  beside  the  porch,  but  her  threat  of  the 
night  before  was  not  repeated  and  Hollis  rightly 
guessed  that  it  would  never  be  carried  out. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

DUNLAVEY  PLAYS  A  CARD 

DURING  the  week  following  Ed  Hazel- 
ton's  departure  for  Chicago  Hollis  did 
not  see  much  of  Nellie.  In  the  few  days 
preceding  his  departure  she  had  not  allowed  her 
brother  to  see  how  his  refusal  to  allow  her  to  ac 
company  him  had  hurt  her,  but  once  he  had 
boarded  the  east-bound  express  at  Dry  Bottom, 
she  had  yielded  to  the  emotions  that  she  had  so 
far  succeeded  in  concealing.  Hollis  had  ridden 
in  to  town  with  them,  and  not  until  Nellie  and 
he  had  seen  Ed  and  Weary  safely  on  the  train — 
indeed,  not  until  the  train  was  well  under  way 
and  the  two  figures  on  the  back  platform  could 
no  longer  be  discerned — did  Nellie  break  down. 
Then  Hollis  turned  to  her  with  a  smile  to  see  the 
sudden  tears  well  up  into  her  eyes.  He  had  not 
attempted  to  console  her,  feeling  the  awkward 
ness  of  the  situation. 

He  was  much  relieved  when  she  refused  his 
offer  to  make  the  return  trip  with  her,  for  he 
was  certain  that  a  few  hours  alone  in  which  to 

267 


268    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

meditate  over  her  loss  would  enable  her  to  regain 
her  composure.  But  before  leaving  her  he  se 
cured  her  promise  not  to  stop  at  the  cabin,  but 
to  go  on  to  the  Circle  Bar.  On  her  arrival  at 
the  ranch  she  was  to  tell  Norton  to  send  one  of 
the  men  to  the  cabin  after  the  few  personal  ef 
fects  that  she  had  decided  to  transfer.  But  once 
out  of  Hollis's  sight  Nellie  forgot  her  promise 
through  fear  over  the  safety  of  her  things.  She 
took  the  Coyote  trail,  riding  slowly  through  the 
clear  sunshine  of  the  morning. 

After  taking  leave  of  Nellie  Hollis  rode  slowly 
down  the  street  to  the  Kicker  office.  He  looked 
in  through  the  window  and  seeing  that  Potter 
had  not  yet  arrived,  continued  down  to  the  court 
house.  He  talked  for  a  few  minutes  with  Judge 
Graney.  Nothing  new  had  developed.  Ben 
Allen  had  gone  to  visit  several  small  ranchers  the 
day  before  and  had  not  returned. 

Hollis  returned  to  the  Kicker  office.  At  noon 
Potter  had  arrived,  bearing  the  news  that  he  had 
seen  Nellie  Hazelton  on  the  Coyote  trail,  within 
a  few  miles  of  the  Circle  Bar.  She  had  stopped 
at  her  cabin  and  there  were  several  bundles 
strapped  to  the  cantle  of  her  saddle. 

That  night  Hollis  did  not  see  her  at  all.  He 
did  not  inquire  for  her,  but  surmised  that  she 
was  in  her  room.  The  next  morning  soon  after 


DUNLAFET  PLAYS  A   CARD     269 

he  had  awakened  and  while  he  still  debated  the 
question  of  arising,  he  heard  her  singing  in  the 
kitchen.  He  smiled,  thinking  how  quickly  she 
had  adapted  herself  to  her  new  surroundings. 

At  breakfast  he  looked  closely  at  her  several 
times,  searching  for  evidence  of  her  grief  of  yes 
terday.  There  was  none.  Therefore  he  was 
not  surprised  when,  after  breakfast,  she  told  him 
that  she  intended  riding  with  him  as  far  as  the 
cabin  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  the  remainder 
of  her  effects.  He  gravely  reminded  her  that 
she  had  broken  her  promise  of  yesterday,  and 
that  as  a  punishment  he  contemplated  refusing 
her  request.  But  when,  an  hour  later,  he  urged 
his  pony  down  the  river  trail  she  was  riding  be 
side  him. 

But  she  did  not  ride  again  that  week.  She  did 
not  tell  Hollis  the  reason;  that  returning  that 
evening  she  had  reached  the  Razor-Back  and 
was  riding  along  its  crest  when  she  happened  to 
glance  across  the  Rabbit-Ear  toward  the  Circle 
Cross.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  she  had 
seen  two  men,  sitting  quietly  in  their  saddles, 
watching  her.  They  were  Dunlavey  and  Yuma. 
She  did  not  know  what  their  presence  there 
meant,  but  the  sight  was  disquieting  and  she 
feared  to  return  to  the  cabin  for  the  few  things 
that  were  still  here. 


270    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

But  as  the  days  went  her  fears  were  dispersed. 
Time  and  the  lure  of  her  old  home  had  revived 
her  courage,  and  on  a  day  about  a  week  follow 
ing  her  previous  trip,  she  herself  saddled  and 
bridled  her  pony  and  set  out  over  the  Coyote  trail 
toward  her  cabin. 

She  had  not  told  Hollis  of  her  intention  to 
ride  there,  fearing  that  the  knowledge  of  what 
she  had  seen  on  the  day  of  the  other  ride  would 
be  revealed  in  her  eyes.  It  was  a  good  hour 
after  noon  when  she  stole  out  of  the  house  to  her 
pony,  mounted,  and  rode  away  toward  the  river. 

For  many  days  she  had  been  wondering  at 
Dunlavey's  continued  inaction.  He  had  been 
known  as  an  energetic  enemy,  and  though  at 
their  last  meeting  in  Dry  Bottom  he  had  threat 
ened  her  and  her  brother,  he  had  so  far  made  no 
hostile  move.  Uusually  he  would  go  a  consider 
able  distance  out  of  his  way  to  speak  to  her. 
Perhaps,  she  thought,  at  their  last  meeting  she 
had  shown  him  that  he  was  wasting  his  time. 
Yet  she  could  not  forget  that  day  when  she  had 
seen  Yuma  and  Dunlavey  on  the  Circle  Cross 
side  of  the  Rabbit-Ear.  The  sight  somehow 
had  been  significant  and  forbidding. 

But  when  she  reached  her  cabin  she  had 
forgotten  Dunlavey  and  Yuma;  her  thoughts 
dwelt  upon  more  pleasant  people.  Had  she 


DUNLAFEY  PLAYS  A    CARD      271 

done  right  in  allowing  Hollis  to  see  that  she  was 
interested  in  him?  Would  he  think  less  of  her 
for  revealing  this  interest?  She  could  not  an 
swer  these  questions,  but  she  could  answer  an 
other — one  that  brought  the  blushes  to  her 
cheeks.  Why  had  Hollis  shown  an  interest  in 
her?  She  had  known  this  answer  for  a  long  time 
— when  she  had  read  Ace's  poem  to  him  while 
sitting  on  the  porch  beside  him,  to  be  perfectly 
accurate.  She  had  pretended  then  to  take  of 
fense  when  he  had  assured  her  that  Ace  had  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  much  truth  into  his  lines,  es 
pecially  into  the  first  couplet,  which  ran : 

"Woman — she  don't  need  no  tutor, 
Be  she  school  ma'am  or  biscuit  shooter." 

The  language  had  not  been  graceful,  nor  the 
diction,  yet  she  knew  that  Ace  had  struck  the 
mark  fairly,  for  woman  indeed  needed  no  tutor  to 
teach  her  to  understand  man — woman  had  al 
ways  understood  him. 

She  dismounted  from  her  pony  at  the  edge  of 
the  porch,  hitching  the  animal  to  one  of  the  slen 
der  porch  columns.  Then  she  went  into  the 
house  to  gather  up  the  few  things  that  still  re 
mained  there. 

But  for  a  long  time  after  entering  the  cabin 


272     THE  COMING  OF  THE  LAW 

she  sat  on  a  chair  in  the  kitchen,  sobbing  softly, 
for  now  that  Ed  had  gone  she  felt  the  desola 
tion  of  the  country  more  than  ever.  Presently 
she  rose  and  with  a  start  looked  out  of  the  door. 
The  dusk  had  fallen;  darkness  was  stealing  into 
the  valley  around  the  cabin! 

Flitting  here  and  there,  she  hurriedly  began 
packing  things  which  she  took  from  shelves  and 
racks.  It  was  an  engrossing  task  and  she  was 
much  interested  in  it,  so  much  so  that  she  did  not 
hear  a  slight  sound  at  the  door  that  led  out  to  the 
front  porch.  But  when  she  saw  a  shadow 
darken  the  doorway  of  the  room  in  which  she 
was  working  she  stood  suddenly  erect  and  with 
rapidly  beating  heart  stole  softly  forward  and 
peered  around  the  door- jamb.  Of  course  it 
could  be  no  one  but  Hollis.  He  had  taken  the 
Coyote  trail  to-night.  He  would  be  surprised 
to  see  her. 

But  it  was  she  who  was  surprised.  Yuma 
stood  near  the  table  in  the  center  of  the  kitchen, 
looking  straight  at  her,  his  insolent,  evil  face 
drawn  into  a  foreboding  smile. 

After  the  first  gasp  of  horror  and  surprise  a 
righteous  anger  stiffened  her. 

'  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  "  she  demanded. 

Yuma's  evil  smile  grew.  She  had  seen  him 
often,  usually  at  a  distance,  for  she  had  abhorred 


DUNLAVEY   PLAYS   A    CARD      273 

him,  with  his  olive  skin,  his  thin,  cruel  lips  and 
small  glittering  eyes.  He  had  always  seemed 
like  an  animal  to  her,  though  she  could  not  have 
told  why.  She  thought  it  must  be  something  in 
his  attitude,  in  the  stoop  which  was  almost  a 
crouch,  in  the  stealthy,  cat-like  manner  in  which 
he  walked.  She  had  spoken  to  Ed  about  him 
more  than  once,  conveying  to  him  her  abhorrence 
of  the  man,  and  he  had  told  her  that  he  felt  the 
same  about  him.  She  shuddered  now,  thinking 
of  what  her  brother  had  told  her  of  the  man's 
cruelty.  Dunlavey  had  often  boasted  that 
Yuma  was  the  most  venomous  and  bloodthirsty 
of  his  crew  of  cut-throats. 

"What  are  you  doing  here?"  she  repeated, 
her  anger  growing. 

Yuma  laughed  softly.  "  I  saw  you  ridin'  the 
Razor  Back  the  other  day,"  he  said,  showing  his 
teeth  as  the  words  came — even,  smooth,  burdened 
with  a  subtle  mockery.  "  I  saw  you  again  thees 
afternoon — but  you  not  see  me  like  the  other  day 
— I  watch  you  thees  long."  He  held  up  three 
fingers  to  denote  that  he  had  watched  her  three 
hours.  She  shuddered,  suddenly  realizing  the 
significance  of  his  attitude  that  day  she  had  seen 
him  from  the  Razor  Back. 

"  Ed  gone,"  he  continued,  watching  her  nar 
rowly;  "nobody  here;  I  come.  I  like  you — 


274     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

much."  He  grinned,  his  eyes  brightening.  "  I 
reckon  you  know — you  girl  that  under stan'  ? " 

She  drew  a  slow  deep  breath.  Curiously 
enough,  next  to  the  horror  and  doubt  that  she 
felt  over  Yuma's  presence  at  the  cabin  was  a 
wonder  for  the  idioms  of  cowboy  speech  that 
were  interjected  with  his  own.  He  had  caught 
them  from  association,  she  supposed.  She  made 
a  pretense  of  boldness,  though  she  felt  more  like 
screaming. 

"  Leave  this  cabin !  "  she  commanded  sharply. 

Yuma  did  not  change  his  position.  "  Leave 
heem?  "  he  laughed.  "  I  theenk  not.  Dunla- 
vey  says  me  come  here — make  um  love  me — same 
as  tenderfoot  noospaper  man ! "  He  laughed 
again,  exultantly.  "  Dunlavey  say  you  spark 
tenderfoot — you  spark  me !  " 

She  trembled,  realizing  that  a  crisis  was  at 
hand  and  that  she  must  meet  it  boldly.  She 
thought  of  the  ivory-handled  weapon  in  the  hol 
ster  at  her  hip  and  involuntarily  her  right  hand 
dropped  to  its  butt.  She  had  learned  to  shoot, 
but  she  had  never  yet  shot  at  a  man  and  she  drew 
her  hand  away  from  the  butt  of  the  weapon  with 
a  shudder.  Yuma  had  been  watching  her  closely, 
his  evil  little  eyes  glittering,  and  when  he  saw  her 
hand  drop  away  he  laughed  derisively. 

"  You  no  shoot  heem!  "  he  said.     "  You  'fraid. 


DUNLAFEY   PLAYS   A    CARD      275 

Dunlavey  say  he  reckon  you  no  shoot — say  you 
make  love  to  um  right  away !  " 

He  smiled  significantly  and  took  a  step  toward 
her.  She  made  an  involuntary  step  backward 
and  her  right  hand  again  sought  the  butt  of  the 
revolver,  the  left  closing  on  the  edge  of  the  door 
that  opened  into  her  room.  Terror  had  given 
her  courage  and  as  Yuma  continued  to  advance 
with  a  soft,  cautious,  cat-like  sliding  movement, 
she  drew  the  revolver  and  presented  it,  though 
her  hand  wavered  a  little. 

"If  you  take  another  step  toward  me,  Yuma, 
I  will  kill  you ! "  she  declared. 

She  saw  his  little  eyes  glitter  with  decision,  saw 
him  measure  the  distance  between  them,  saw  him 
crouch  for  a  spring. 

She  fired,  aiming  at  the  lower  edge  of  the  scarf 
that  sagged  at  his  throat.  The  smoke  from  the 
pistol  blinded  her ;  she  heard  his  laugh,  heard  the 
rush  of  his  feet  as  he  hurled  himself  forward. 
Terror  stricken  over  her  failure  to  hit  him,  she 
dropped  the  pistol  and  whirled,  grasping  the 
edge  of  the  door  and  slamming  it  shut  in  his  face. 
She  felt  his  weight  against  it,  but  he  had  been 
taken  by  surprise  by  the  movement;  there  was 
the  strength  of  desperation  in  her  body  and  she 
held  the  door  closed  against  him  while  she  shoved 
the  fastenings  into  place. 


276     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

Then,  suddenly  overcome,  she  leaned  weakly 
against  the  jamb,  her  heart  thumping  hard,  her 
nerves  tingling. 

For  a  long  time  she  did  not  move,  and  there: 
came  no  sound  from  the  other  side  of  the  door 
to  tell  her  of  Yuma's  movements.  There  was  a 
wild  hope  in  her  heart  that  he  had  gone,  but  pres 
ently,  becoming  a  little  calmer,  she  pressed  her 
ear  against  the  door.  There  was  no  doubt  of 
Yuma's  presence;  she  could  hear  him  stepping 
softly  about  the  room.  Had  there  been  a  win 
dow  in  the  room  in  which  she  had  imprisoned  her 
self  she  might  have  escaped,  but  unfortunately 
there  was  not. 

She  fell  to  thinking  of  the  revolver  she  had 
dropped  when  Yuma  had  sprung  upon  her.  It 
must  have  dropped  very  close  to  the  door.  Had 
Yuma  picked  it  up?  There  was  a  chance  that 
he  had  not.  If  the  weapon  were  still  there  and 
she  could  open  the  door  and  secure  it  and  close 
the  door  again,  she  would  be  in  a  position  to  de 
fend  herself.  She  could  not  defend  herself  with 
out  it.  If  Yuma  should  burst  the  door  open  she 
would  be  at  his  mercy.  She  must  get  the  re 
volver. 

Convinced  of  this  she  stood  for  some  little 
time  at  the  door,  her  ear  pressed  against  it,  listen 
ing  for  any  sound  that  might  tell  her  of  the  where- 


DUNLAFEY   PLAYS   A    CARD      277 

abouts  of  Yuma  in  the  cabin.  She  heard  noth 
ing.  Perhaps  he  had  gone?  But  she  listened  a 
while  longer,  determined  to  be  certain  before 
loosening  the  fastenings  of  the  door.  Silence — 
a  premonitory  silence — filled  the  room  beyond 
the  door.  She  could  hear  nothing  except  her 
own  rapid  breathing.  Presently  she  heard  a 
horse  whinny.  Was  Yuma  at  the  horses?  It 
seemed  incredible  that  any  man  should  visit  the 
cabin  purposely  to  attack  her.  Perhaps  Yuma 
had  only  intended  to  frighten  her;  he  had  said 
that  Dunlavey  had  told  him  to  follow  her,  but  she 
believed  that  Dunlavey,  in  spite  of  his  reputa 
tion  for  lawlessness  and  trickery,  was  not  so  un 
manly  as  to  incite  the  half-breed  to  attack  her. 
He  may  have  told  him  to  steal  the  horses — she 
could  believe  that  of  him ! 

But  for  a  long  time,  in  spite  of  the  quieting 
influence  of  these  thoughts,  she  kept  her  ear 
pressed  against  the  door.  Then,  moved  by  a 
sudden  impulse — an  accession  of  courage  in 
spired  by  the  continued  silence — she  cautiously 
loosened  the  fastenings  and  swung  the  door 
slowly  open. 

Her  revolver  lay  close  and  with  a  swift  move 
ment  she  reached  for  it.  As  her  fingers  grasped 
its  butt  she  heard  a  slight  sound  and  Yuma  was 
upon  her  from  behind,  pinning  her  arms  to  her 


278     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

sides.  She  felt  his  breath  on  her  neck,  heard  his 
laugh,  exultant  and  derisive,  mocking  her.  His 
right  hand,  gripping  hers  tightly,  was  slipping 
slowly  down  toward  the  hand  that  held  the  revol 
ver.  She  struggled  desperately,  squirming  and 
twisting  in  his  grasp,  silently  matching  her 
strength  against  his.  Finding  this  hopeless  and 
feeling  his  hand  gradually  slipping  toward  the 
revolver,  she  suddenly  raised  her  hand  toward 
her  face,  bringing  Yuma's  hand,  still  on  her  arm, 
with  it.  Then  she  dropped  her  head  to  his  arm 
near  the  wrist,  and  sank  her  teeth  savagely  into 
the  flesh. 

Yuma  howled  in  anguish,  loosening  his  hold 
momentarily.  In  an  instant  she  had  wrenched 
herself  free  and  had  bounded  to  the  center  of  the 
room,  placing  the  kitchen  table  between  herself 
and  her  assailant. 

But  he  was  after  her  with  a  bound,  his  little 
eyes  gleaming  with  a  venomous  expression,  his 
face  contorted  with  passion.  She  raised  the  re 
volver  and  fired.  For  a  breathless  instant  she 
thought  that  she  had  hit  him,  for  he  sank  almost 
to  the  floor.  But  she  saw  that  it  was  only  a  trick 
for  he  was  up  again  on  the  instant,  a  mocking 
smile  on  his  face  and  closer  than  ever.  She  fired 
again,  and  when  she  saw  him  sink  to  the  floor  she 
pulled  the  trigger  a  second  time.  He  had  been 


DUNLAFEY  PLAYS  A   CARD      279 

very  close  to  the  table  when  she  fired  the  last  time 
and  before  she  could  press  the  trigger  again  he 
had  lurched  forward  under  it,  raising  it  on  his 
shoulders  and  sending  it  crashing  down  behind 
him  as  he  confronted  her,  his  evil  face  close  to 
hers,  his  hands  again  gripping  her  arms. 

She  fought  him  silently,  and  together  they 
reeled  around  the  cabin.  She  bit  him  again,  and 
then  in  an  outburst  of  savage  fury  he  brutally 
twisted  the  arm  in  which  she  still  held  the  re 
volver,  sending  the  weapon  crashing  to  the  floor. 
While  twisting  her  arm  he  had  been  compelled  to 
loosen  his  grasp  of  the  other  slightly,  and  she 
again  wrenched  herself  free  and  darted  toward 
the  door  leading  to  the  porch.  But  he  bounded 
forward,  intercepting  her,  and  with  a  last,  des 
pairing  effort  she  raised  both  hands  to  his  face 
and  clawed  furiously  at  his  eyes. 

She  heard  a  savage  curse  from  him,  saw  the 
lust  of  murder  in  his  little,  glittering  eyes,  felt 
his  sinewy  fingers  at  her  throat.  Then  objects 
within  the  cabin  swam  in  a  dizzy,  blurring  circle 
before  her.  She  heard  a  crash — seeming  to 
come  from  a  great  distance;  heard  Yuma  curse 
again.  And  then,  borne  resistlessly  forward  by 
the  weight  of  his  body,  she  tumbled  to  the  floor 
in  an  inert  heap. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

PROOF  OF  GRATITUDE 

SHORTLY  after  noon  on  the  same  day 
Hollis,  finding  work  irksome,  closed  his 
desk  with  a  bang,  told  Potter  that  he  was 
going  home,  mounted  his  pony,  and  loped  the 
animal  out  the  Dry  Bottom  trail.  He  remem 
bered  hearing  Norton  tell  one  of  the  men  that 
morning  that  he  suspected  that  several  of  Ed 
Hazelton's  cattle  were  still  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
basin  near  the  Hazelton  cabin,  and  he  deter 
mined  to  ride  around  that  way  and  try  to  turn 
them  back  toward  the  Circle  Bar.  It  would  be 
recreation  for  him  after  a  hot  morning  in  the 
office. 

He  also  remembered  another  thing  that  had 
occurred  that  morning  at  the  ranch  house.  Mrs. 
Norton  had  assured  him — with  a  sly,  eloquent 
glance  at  him — that  he  might  do  worse  than  to 
make  arrangements  to  keep  Nellie  Hazelton  at 
the  Circle  Bar  indefinitely.  At  the  risk  of  be 
ing  considered  obtuse  Hollis  had  ignored  the 
hint,  broad  though  it  had  been.  But  Mrs.  Nor- 

280 


PROOF   OF   GRATITUDE        281 

ton's  words  had  shown  him  that  Nellie  stood  high 
in  her  estimation  and  he  felt  a  queer,  unaccount 
able  elation. 

After  striking  the  Dry  Bottom  trail  he  took  a 
circuitous  route  and  some  time  later  came  out 
upon  a  high  ridge  overlooking  a  basin.  There 
were  some  cattle  down  there  and  he  made  a  men 
tal  note  of  the  locality  so  that  he  would  be  able 
to  tell  Norton  where  to  have  the  men  look  for  the 
cattle.  Then  he  rode  along  the  ridge  until  he 
could  no  longer  see  the  basin.  He  spent  most  of 
the  afternoon  exploring  the  surrounding  country, 
and  then  when  the  dusk  began  to  fall  he  retraced 
his  steps  to  the  ridge  upon  which  he  had  ridden 
earlier  in  the  afternoon.  Something  familiar  in 
the  shape  of  the  hills  near  him  struck  him  and  he 
halted  his  pony  and  smiled.  These  were  the  hills 
that  he  had  seen  many  times  from  the  Hazelton 
porch.  He  faced  around,  certain  that  if  the  hills 
could  be  seen  from  the  porch  he  would  be  able  to 
discern  the  porch  from  some  point  on  the  ridge, 
for  he  was  satisfied  that  he  must  be  nearly  in  line 
with  it.  He  rode  back  and  forth  a  few  moments, 
and  then,  coming  out  on  a  bald  spot  on  the  ridge, 
he  saw  the  cabin. 

It  was  about  a  mile  away,  snuggled  comfort 
ably  down  in  a  little  basin,  with  some  trees  and 


282     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

shrubbery  flanking  it  on  both  sides.  He  smiled 
as  he  looked  at  it,  and  then  suddenly  his  face 
clouded,  for  he  saw  two  ponies  hitched  to  the 
porch.  His  forehead  wrinkled  perplexedly  over 
this.  He  was  certain  that  Nellie  rode  the  same 
animal  each  time,  because  she  would  not  trust  any 
of  the  others  that  were  now  with  the  remuda. 
One  of  the  horses  belonged  to  her  of  course,  for 
he  could  see  the  gay  ribbon  with  which  she  was 
accustomed  to  decorate  her  animal's  bridle.  But 
to  whom  did  the  other  horse  belong?  He  gazed 
steadily  toward  the  cabin,  searching  for  signs 
of  life  on  the  porch.  But  though  he  could  see 
clearly — even  into  the  shadows  from  a  rambling 
rose  bush  that  clung  to  the  eaves  of  the  roof — no 
human  figure  appeared  on  the  porch. 

Certainly  Nellie  must  have  a  visitor.  But 
who?  He  was  not  aware  that  the  Hazeltons  had 
made  friends  with  anyone  in  the  neighborhood 
besides  himself  and  the  Nortons.  He  smiled. 
Probably  some  cowboy  from  the  Circle  Bar  had 
been  in  the  vicinity  looking  for  Hazelton's  cattle, 
had  met  Nellie,  and  had  stopped  at  the  cabin. 
He  remembered  to  have  heard  Norton  say  that 
he  was  sending  a  man  in  that  direction  some 
time  that  day. 

That  must  be  the  explanation.  But  while  he 
sat,  debating  the  propriety  of  riding  down  to  the 


PROOF   OF   GRATITUDE        283 

cabin  to  satisfy  his  curiosity,  the  sound  of  a  pistol 
shot  floated  to  his  ears  on  the  slight  breeze  that 
was  blowing  toward  him. 

He  sat  erect,  his  face  paling.  Then  he  smiled 
again.  He  had  been  in  the  West  long  enough  to 
become  acquainted  with  the  cowboy  nature  and 
he  surmised  that  Nellie's  visitor  was  very  likely 
exhibiting  his  skill  with  the  revolver.  But  he 
turned  his  pony  and  urged  it  down  the  sloping 
side  of  the  ridge,  riding  slowly  in  the  direction 
of  the  cabin. 

After  striking  the  bottom  of  the  slope  he  rode 
out  upon  a  broad  level  that  stretched  away  for 
half  a  mile.  He  made  better  time  here  and  had 
almost  covered  half  the  width  of  the  plain  when 
two  more  reports  reached  his  ears.  He  was  close 
enough  now  to  hear  them  distinctly  and  it 
seemed  to  him  that  they  sounded  muffled.  He 
halted  the  pony  and  sat  stiffly  in  the  saddle,  his 
gaze  on  the  cabin.  Then  he  saw  a  thin  stream  of 
blue-white  smoke  issue  from  the  doorway  and 
curl  lazily  upward. 

A  grave  doubt  assailed  him.  No  cowboy 
would  be  likely  to  exhibit  his  skill  with  a  weapon 
in  the  cabin  1  Nellie's  visitor  must  be  an  unwel 
come  onel 

The  pony  felt  the  sudden  spurs  and  raced  like 
a  whirlwind  over  the  remaining  stretch  of  plain. 


Hollis  had  become  suddenly  imbued  with  a  sus 
picion  that  brought  an  ashen  pallor  to  his  face 
and  an  awful  rage  into  his  heart.  He  slid  his 
pony  down  one  side  of  a  steep  arroyo,  sent  it 
scrambling  up  the  other  side,  jumped  it  over 
some  rocks  that  littered  the  rise,  spurred  sav 
agely  through  a  little  basin,  and  reaching  the 
edge  of  the  porch,  dismounted  and  bounded  to 
the  door. 

He  saw  two  figures — Nellie  Hazelton  and  a 
man.  He  saw  the  man's  fingers  gripping  the 
girl's  throat  and  the  lust  of  murder  surged  over 
and  blinded  him.  In  the  dusk  that  had  fallen 
he  could  only  dimly  see  the  man's  head  and  he 
swung  his  right  fist  at  it,  putting  every  ounce  of 
his  strength  into  the  blow.  He  felt  the  fist 
strike,  realized  that  it  had  glanced,  and  tried  to 
recover  for  a  second  blow. 

But  the  terrific  swing  had  carried  him  off  his 
balance.  He  whirled  clear  around,  slipped,  and 
came  down  to  the  floor  flat  on  his  face.  He  was 
up  in  an  instant,  however,  his  brain  afire  with 
rage,  his  muscles  tingling  with  eagerness.  He 
did  not  think  of  the  gun  at  his  hip,  for  the  lust 
of  murder  was  in  his  soul  and  he  wanted  only  to 
hit  the  man — to  seize  him  and  tear  him  apart — to 
crush  and  smash  the  vile  hands  that  he  had  seen 
at  the  girl's  throat. 


PROOF   OF   GRATITUDE        285 

Five  feet  from  him,  facing  him,  on  his  hands 
and  knees  and  scrambling  to  rise,  was  the  man. 
He  recognized  Yuma,  and  even  as  he  bounded 
forward  the  latter  gained  his  feet  and  tugged  at 
his  gun-holster.  The  weapon  had  not  yet 
cleared  the  holster  when  Hollis  was  upon  him. 
He  struck  again  with  his  right  fist  and  missed, 
crashing  against  Yuma  in  his  eagerness  and 
carrying  him  down  to  the  floor  with  a  force  that 
shook  the  cabin.  As  they  fell  Hollis  felt  a 
sharp,  agonizing  pain  in  his  left  wrist,  from 
which  the  splints  had  been  only  recently  re 
moved,  and  the  hand  hung  limp  at  his  side,  en 
tirely  useless. 

For  an  instant  after  the  fall  Yuma  lay  still, 
breathing  heavily.  Then  he  made  a  sudden 
movement  with  his  right  arm  and  Hollis  caught 
a  glint  of  metal.  He  threw  himself  at  the  arm, 
catching  it  with  his  right  hand  just  above  the 
wrist  and  jamming  it  tight  to  the  floor.  Yuma 
tried  to  squirm  free,  failed,  and  with  a  curse  drove 
his  left  fist  into  the  side  of  Hollis's  face.  Again 
he  tried  to  squirm  free  and  during  the  struggle 
that  followed  the  hand  holding  the  pistol  was 
raised  from  the  floor.  Hollis  saw  it  and 
wrenched  desperately  at  the  arm,  twisting  it  and 
dragging  it  furiously  downward  to  the  floor. 
Yuma  shrieked  with  rage  and  pain  as  the  force  of 


286     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

the  impact  cracked  his  knuckles  and  sent  the 
weapon  clattering  ten  feet  away. 

For  an  instant  both  men  lay  silent,  panting 
from  their  exertions.  Then  Yuma  succeeded  in 
getting  one  leg  over  Hollis's  body  and  one  arm 
around  his  neck.  With  a  quick  motion — suc 
cessful  because  of  Hollis's  injured  wrist — he 
turned  the  latter  over  on  his  back.  His  eyes 
alight  with  an  exultant,  malevolent  fire,  he 
gripped  Hollis's  throat  with  one  hand  and  drove 
at  his  face  with  the  other.  A  quick  movement  of 
the  head  served  to  defeat  Yuma's  aim  and  his  fist 
thumped  heavily  against  the  floor,  bringing  a 
grimace  of  pain  to  his  face.  Disregarding  his  in 
jured  wrist,  Hollis  wrenched  savagely  and  suc 
ceeded  in  rolling  free  of  Yuma  and  reaching  his 
feet.  He  had  moved  quickly,  but  the  lithe,  cat 
like  half-breed  was  before  him,  bounding  to 
ward  the  pistol  on  the  floor.  He  was  bending 
over  it,  his  fingers  gripping  its  butt,  when  Hol 
lis,  throwing  himself  forward  bodily,  crashed  into 
him  and  hurled  him  heavily  to  the  floor. 

This  time  Yuma  lay  face  downward,  his  arms 
outstretched,  and  Hollis  lay  sprawled  out  on  top 
of  him.  But  Yuma  had  succeeded  in  holding  to 
the  pistol;  it  was  grasped  in  his  outstretched 
right  hand,  just  out  of  Hollis's  reach. 

For  an  instant  again  both  men  lay  silent, 


breathing  rapidly.  Then,  yielding  to  the  rage 
that  still  possessed  him,  Hollis  bounded  to  his 
feet,  striking  Yuma  a  crashing  blow  in  the  face 
as  he  did  so.  While  Yuma  reeled  he  brought 
his  booted  foot  down  on  the  hand  holding  the 
pistol,  grinding  it  under  his  heel. 

Yuma  screamed  with  pain  and  rage  and  got  to 
his  feet,  holding  his  injured  hand  with  the  other. 
The  pistol  lay  on  the  floor  where  Yuma  had 
dropped  it  when  Hollis's  boot  had  come  in  con 
tact  with  his  hand.  For  an  instant  Yuma  stood 
gripping  his  hand,  his  face  hideous  with  passion. 
Then  with  a  snarl  of  rage  and  hate  he  drew  a 
knife  from  the  folds  of  his  shirt  and  sprang  to 
ward  Hollis. 

Hollis  tensed  himself  for  the  clash,  rapidly 
measuring  the  distance,  and  when  Yuma  came 
close  enough  caught  him  squarely  on  the  side  of 
the  jaw  with  a  vicious  right  swing.  But  in  some 
manner  when  Hollis  stepped  aside  to  avoid 
Yuma's  knife,  his  feet  had  become  entangled 
with  the  legs  of  the  table  that  Yuma  had  pre 
viously  overturned.  As  he  struck  he  slipped, 
the  blow  at  Yuma's  jaw  not  having  the  force  he 
intended  it  to  have.  He  caught  himself,  slipped 
again  and  went  down,  turning  completely  over 
the  table  top  and  falling  face  downward  to  the 
floor.  He  saw  Yuma  throw  himself  forward 


288     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

and  he  tried  to  wriggle  out  of  danger,  but  he 
failed.  He  felt  the  half-breed's  weight  on  his 
body,  saw  the  knife  flash  in  the  dull  light.  He 
tried  to  roll  over  and  grasp  the  knife  in  its  de 
scent,  but  could  not,  his  left  arm,  now  useless, 
being  pinned  to  the  floor  by  Yuma's  knee. 

A  revolver  roared  spitefully — once — twice. 
Yuma's  knife  hissed  past  Hollis's  ear  and  struck 
the  floor,  its  point  sunk  deep,  its  handle  swaying 
idly  back  and  forth.  Yuma  himself — inert, 
limp,  rolled  from  Hollis's  back  and  lay  flat  on 
his  own,  his  eyes  wide  open  and  staring,  two 
huge  bullet  holes  in  his  forehead.  And  in  the 
open  doorway  of  the  cabin  stood  Ten  Spot. 

For  an  instant  Hollis  could  not  realize  his  es 
cape.  He  looked  at  Yuma  and  then  again  at 
Ten  Spot.  Slowly  and  painfully  he  got  to  his 
feet,  looking  around  at  the  wreck  of  the  room. 
Staggering  a  little,  he  walked  to  where  Ten 
Spot  stood,  gripping  the  latter's  hand  silently,  at 
a  loss  for  words  with  which  to  thank  him. 

But  apparently  Ten  Spot  did  not  notice  the 
omission,  for  he  grinned  broadly. 

"  I  reckon  there's  folks  which  would  call  that 
a  right  clever  bit  of  shootin',"  he  said,  "  seein'  as 
there  wasn't  time  to  pull  off  no  fancy  stuff!  " 


CHAPTER  XXIII) 

[TEN  SPOT  USES  HIS  EYES 

THE  crash  of  Ten  Spot's  pistols  aroused 
Nellie  Hazelton,  and  she  sat  up  and  stared 
stupidly  about — at  Hollis,  who  was  just 
rising  from  the  floor;  at  Ten  Spot,  who  still 
stood  in  the  doorway ;  and  then  at  Yuma's  body, 
stretched  out  on  the  floor  beside  the  overturned 
table.  She  shuddered  and  covered  her  face  with 
her  hands.  The  next  instant  Hollis  was  bend 
ing  over  her,  helping  her  to  her  feet,  leading  her 
to  the  door  and  assuring  her  in  a  low,  earnest 
voice  that  everything  was  all  right,  and  that 
Yuma  would  never  trouble  her  again,  and  that 
he  wanted  her  to  get  on  her  pony  and  go  to  the 
Circle  Bar.  She  allowed  herself  to  be  led  out 
on  the  porch,  but  once  there  she  looked  at  him 
with  renewed  spirit. 

"It  was  you  who  came  first,"  she  said;  "I 
didn't  see  you,  but  I  heard  Yuma  curse,  felt 
something  strike  him,  and  then — I  must  have 
fainted.  You  see,  I  felt  it  must  be  you — I  had 
been  expecting  you." 

289 


290    THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

As  she  spoke  she  seized  his  hands  and  pressed 
them  tightly,  her  eyes  eloquent  with  thankful 
ness.  "Oh,  I  am  so  glad!"  she  whispered. 
Then  she  saw  Ten  Spot  standing  in  the  doorway 
and  she  ran  over  and  seized  his  hands  also,  shak 
ing  them  hysterically.  And  Ten  Spot  stood, 
red  of  face,  grinning  bashfully  at  her — like  a  big, 
awkward,  embarrassed  schoolboy. 

"  That's  the  first  time  I've  ever  been  thanked 
for  shootin*  anybody ! "  he  confided  to  Hollis, 
later.  "  An*  it  cert'nly  did  feel  some  strange!  " 

In  spite  of  Hollis's  remonstrances  the  girl 
insisted  on  returning  to  the  interior  of  the  cabin, 
to  "  bundle  up  her  things."  Feeling  the  futility 
of  further  objection,  Hollis  finally  allowed  her  to 
enter.  But  while  she  was  busy  in  one  of  the 
rooms  he  and  Ten  Spot  carried  Yuma's  body 
outside,  around  to  the  rear  of  the  cabin. 

Then,  when  the  girl  had  finally  secured  her 
"  things  "  and  they  had  been  securely  tied  to  her 
pony,  and  she  had  started  down  the  trail  toward 
the  Circle  Bar  ranch,  Hollis  and  Ten  Spot  re 
turned  to  the  rear  of  the  cabin,  took  up  Yuma's 
body,  carried  it  to  a  secluded  spot  at  some  little 
distance  from  the  cabin  and  there  buried  it  deep 
and  quickly. 

"  I  want  to  thank  you  again,"  said  Hollis  as 
he  and  Ten  Spot  stood  on  the  porch  when  Hollis 


TEN  SPOT   USES   HIS   EYES      291 

was  ready  to  depart ;  "  it  was  a  great  stroke  of 
luck  that  brought  you  here  just  when  you  were 
needed." 

Ten  Spot  grinned.  "  I  don't  think  it  was  just 
luck  that  brought  me,"  he  said;  "  though  mebbe 
it  was  luck  that  took  me  into  the  Fashion  this 
morning.  Whatever  it  was,  I  was  in  there,  an' 
I  heard  Dunlavey  an'  Yuma  cookin'  this  here 
deal.  I  wasn't  f eelin'  entirely  ongrateful  for  the 
way  you'd  treated  me  after  you'd  got  my  gun 
that  day  in  the  Kicker  office  an'  I  wasn't  intend- 
in'  to  let  happen  what  Dunlavey  wanted  to  hap 
pen.  So  I  got  out  of  the  Fashion  as  soon  as  I 
could  an'  trailed  Yuma.  I've  been  after  him  all 
day,  but  somehow  or  other  I  lost  him  an'  didn't 
find  out  where  he'd  gone  till  a  little  while  ago — 
when  I  heard  a  gun  go  off.  Then  I  hit  the 
breeze  here — after  Yuma.  That's  all.  That's 
how  I  come  to  get  here  so  lucky."  He  stuck  out 
a  hand  to  Hollis.  "  Well,  so-long,"  he  said ; 
"  I'm  hittin'  the  breeze  out  of  the  country."  He 
stepped  forward  to  his  pony,  but  hesitated  when 
he  heard  Hollis  speak. 

"  Then  you're  not  going  back  to  the  Circle 
Cross — to  work  for  Dunlavey?  "  questioned  the 
latter. 

"  Well,  no,"  grinned  Ten  Spot.  "  You  see, 
it  might  not  be  so  pleasant  now  as  it's  been.  I 


292    THE   COMING  OF   THE  LAW 

reckon  when  Dunlavey  hears  this  he  won't  be 
exactly  tickled." 

Hollis  contemplated  him  gravely.  "  So 
you're  going  to  leave  the  country? "  he  said 
slowly,  his  eyes  twinkling.  "  I  take  it  you  are 
not  afraid " 

"  Don't !  "  said  Ten  Spot  coldly  and  sharply. 
Then  he  grinned  with  feline  cordiality.  "  I 
reckon  I  ain't  scared  of  anyone,"  he  said,  "  but  I 
ain't  likin'  to  go  back  to  the  Circle  Cross  after 
puttin'  Yuma  out  of  business.  I've  done  some 
mean  things  in  my  time,  but  I  ain't  dealin'  double 
with  no  man,  an'  I  couldn't  go  back  to  the  Circle 
Cross  an'  work  for  Dunlavey  when  I  ain't  sym- 
pathizin*  with  him  none." 

"  I'm  shy  of  good  cowhands,"  offered  Hollis 
quietly.  "  If  forty  a  month  would  be " 

Ten  Spot's  right  hand  was  suddenly  gripping 
Hollis's.  "  You've  hired  a  man,  boss!  "  he  said, 
his  eyes  alight  with  pleasure.  "  Ever  since  you 
clawed  me  that  day  in  the  Kicker  office  I've  had 
a  hankerin'  to  work  for  you.  I  was  wonder  in* 
if  you'd  ast  me.  There  ain't  no  damn " 

"  Then  it's  a  bargain,"  laughed  Hollis,  inter 
rupting.  c  You  can  start  right  now."  He 
pointed  to  the  ridge  upon  which  he  had  been  rid 
ing  when  he  heard  the  shot  that  had  brought  him 
to  the  cabin.  "  Some  of  Ed  Hazelton's  cattle 


TEN  SPOT   USES   HIS   EYES    293 

are  in  the  basin  on  the  other  side  of  that  ridge," 
he  said.  "  You  go  over  there  and  keep  an  eye 
on  them  until  I  can  get  a  chance  to  send  some 
one  here  to  help  you  drive  them  back  up  the 
river  toward  the  Circle  Bar."  As  he  came  to 
the  edge  of  the  porch  to  mount  his  pony  his  gaze 
fell  on  Yuma's  horse,  still  hitched  to  one  of  the 
columns.  "  What  are  we  going  to  do  with 
Yuma's  horse?  "  he  questioned. 

Ten  Spot  grinned.  He  walked  over  to  the 
pony,  unhitched  it,  and  with  a  vicious  slap  on  the 
flank  sent  it  loping  down  the  trail  toward  the 
river. 

"  That'll  be  my  message  to  Dunlavey  that 
Yuma  ain't  here  any  more,"  he  said  grimly. 

Hollis  mounted  and  rode  a  short  distance,  but 
halted  and  turned  in  the  saddle  when  he  heard 
Ten  Spot  call  to  him. 

"  Boss,"  he  said  with  a  grin,  "  I  ain't  exactly 
blind,  an'  mebbe  you've  got  your  eyes  with  you, 
too.  But  I  saw  that  there  Hazelton  girl  lookin* 
at  you  sorta " 

He  saw  a  smile  on  Hollis's  face,  but  the  rest 
of  his  speech  was  drowned  in  a  clatter  of  hoofs  as 
the  "  boss's  "  pony  tore  down  the  Coyote  trail. 
Then  Ten  Spot  smiled,  mounted  his  pony,  and 
rode  away  toward  the  ridge. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

CAMPAIGN  GUNS 

OF  course  Yuma  had  been  amply  punished 
for  his  part  in  the  attack  on  Nellie  Hazel- 
ton,  but  there  still  remained  Dunlavey — 
who  had  instigated  it.  Hollis  was  aware  of  the 
uselessness  of  bringing  a  charge  against  Dun 
lavey — he  had  not  forgotten  his  experience  with 
Bill  Watkins  when  he  had  attempted  to  have 
Greasy  brought  to  justice.  He  believed  that  he 
would  not  have  brought  such  a  charge  had  there 
been  any  probability  of  the  sheriff  taking  action. 
He  felt  that  in  inciting  Yuma  to  attack  Nellie, 
Dunlavey  had  also  contemplated  a  blow  at  him. 
The  man's  devilish  ingenuity  appalled  him,  but 
it  also  aroused  a  fierce  anger  in  his  heart  that,  in 
the  absence  of  a  powerful  will,  would  have  moved 
him  to  immediate  vengeance. 

But  he  contemplated  no  immediate  action. 
Besides  the  attack  on  Nellie  Hazelton  there  was 
another  score  to  settle  with  Dunlavey,  and  when 
the  time  came  for  a  final  accounting  he  told  him 
self  that  he  would  settle  both.  He  knew  there 

294, 


CAMPAIGN    GUNS  295 

would  come  such  a  time.  From  the  beginning 
he  had  felt  that  he  and  the  Circle  Cross  manager 
were  marked  by  fate  for  a  clash.  He  was  eager 
for  it,  but  content  to  wait  until  the  appointed 
time.  And  he  knew  that  the  time  was  not  far 
distant. 

Therefore  he  remained  silent  regarding  the  in 
cident,  and  except  to  Norton  and  his  wife,  Nellie 
Hazelton,  Ten  Spot,  and  himself,  the  disappear 
ance  of  Yuma  remained  a  mystery. 

Dunlavey,  perhaps,  might  have  had  his  sus 
picions,  but  if  so  he  communicated  them  to  no 
one,  and  so  as  the  days  passed  the  mystery  ceased 
to  be  discussed  and  Yuma  was  forgotten. 

Hollis  received  a  letter  from  Weary,  dated 
"  Chicago,"  announcing  the  safe  arrival  of  him 
self  and  Ed  Hazelton.  "  Town  "  suited  him  to 
a  "  T,"  he  wrote.  But  Doctor  Hammond 
would  not  operate  at  once — he  wanted  time  to 
study  the  symptoms  of  Ed's  malady.  That  was 
all.  Hollis  turned  this  letter  over  to  Nellie,  with 
another  from  Ed,  addressed  to  her — whose  con 
tents  remained  a  mystery  to  him. 

Ben  Allen  had  returned  from  his  visit  to  the 
small  ranchers  in  the  vicinity,  had  confided  to 
Hollis  that  he  had  "  mixed  a  little  politics  with 
business,"  and  then,  after  receiving  a  telegram 
from  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  had  taken 


296     THE   COMING  OF   THE  LAW 

himself  off  to  Santa  Fe  to  confer  with  the  gov 
ernor. 

After  several  days  he  returned.  He  entered 
the  Kicker  office  to  greet  Hollis,  his  face 
wreathed  in  smiles. 

4  You've  got  'em  all  stirred  up,  my  boy! "  he 
declared,  placing  his  hand  on  Hollis's  shoulder 
with  a  resounding  "smack;"  "they're  goin'  to 
enforce  the  little  law  we've  got  and  they've 
passed  some  new  ones.  Here's  a  few!  First 
and  foremost,  cattle  stealing  is  to  be  considered 
felony!  Penalty,  from  one  to  twenty  years! 
Next — free  water!  Being  as  the  rivers  in  this 
Territory  ain't  never  been  sold  with  what  land 
the  government  sharks  has  disposed  of,  any  cat 
tleman's  got  the  right  to  water  wherever  he 
wants  to.  The  governor  told  me  that  if  it's  nec 
essary  he'll  send  Uncle  Sam's  blue  coats  any 
where  in  the  Territory  to  enforce  that!  Third: 
after  a  man's  registered  his  brand  he  can't 
change  it  unless  he  applies  to  the  district  judge. 
Them  that  ain't  registered  their  brand  ain't  en 
titled  to  no  protection.  I  reckon  there's  trouble 
ahead  for  any  man  which  monkeys  with  another 
man's  brand! 

"  Say!  "  Allen  eyed  Hollis  whimsically;  "  that 
new  governor's  all  het  up  over  you!  Had  a 
copy  of  the  Kicker  in  front  of  him  on  his  desk 


CAMPAIGN   GUNS  297 

when  he  was  talkin'  to  me.  Says  you're  a  scrap 
per  from  the  word  go,  an'  that  he'd  back  you  up 
long  as  there  was  a  blue  coat  anywhere  in  the 
Territory!" 

Allen's  speech  was  ungrammatical,  but  its 
message  was  one  of  good  cheer  and  Hollis's  eyes 
brightened.  The  Law  was  coming  at  last !  He 
could  not  help  but  wonder  what  Dunlavey's  feel 
ings  would  be  when  he  heard  of  it.  For  himself, 
he  felt  as  any  man  must  feel  who,  laboring  at  a 
seemingly  impossible  task,  endless  and  thankless, 
sees  in  the  distance  the  possible,  the  end,  and  the 
plaudits  of  his  friends. 

Yes,  he  could  see  the  end,  but  the  end  was  not 
yet.  He  looked  gravely  at  Allen. 

"  Did  you  happen  to  hear  when  these  laws  be 
come  effective?  "  he  inquired. 

"  On  the  first  day  of  October ! "  returned 
Allen,  triumphantly. 

Hollis  smiled.  "  And  election  day  is  the  third 
of  November,"  he  said.  "  That  gives  Dunlavey, 
Watkins  and  Company  a  month's  grace — in  case 
you  are  elected  sheriff." 

Allen  grinned.  "  They  can't  do  a  heap  in  a 
month,"  he  said. 

"  No,"  returned  Hollis,  "  but  in  most  elections 
that  have  come  under  my  observation,  I  have 
noticed  that  the  winning  candidate  does  not  as- 


298     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

sume  office  for  a  considerable  time  after  the  elec 
tion.  What  is  the  custom  out  here?  " 

Allen  grinned  grimly.  "  Usually  it's  two 
weeks,"  he  said,  "  but  if  I'm  elected  it  will  be  the 
next  day — if  I  have  to  go  down  to  the  sheriff's 
office  and  drag  Bill  Watkins  out  by  the  hair ! " 

"  That  belligerent  spirit  does  you  credit," 
dryly  observed  Hollis.  "  It  will  afford  me  great 
pleasure  to  participate  in  the  festivities.  But 
there  is  another  matter  to  be  thought  of — which 
we  seem  to  have  overlooked.  Usually  before  an 
election  there  is  a  primary,  or  a  convention,  is 
there  not? " 

"  There  is,"  grinned  Allen.  "  It's  to-night, 
and  I'm  ready  for  it !  "  His  grin  expanded  to  a 
wide,  whimsical  smile.  "  I  told  you  that  I'd 
been  mixing  a  little  politics  with  business,"  he 
said.  "  Well,  I've  done  so."  He  got  up  and 
approached  the  front  window  of  the  office, 
sweeping  a  hand  toward  the  street.  "  If  you'll 
just  get  up  and  look  out  here,"  he  said,  "  you'll 
see  that  I  ain't  lying.  There's  some  good  in  be 
ing  an  ex-office-holder — you  get  experience 
enough  to  tell  you  how  to  run  a  campaign."  He 
bowed  to  Hollis.  "  Now,  if  you'll  look  close  at 
that  gang  which  is  mixing  palaver  in  front  of  the 
Silver  Dollar  you'll  mebbe  notice  that  Lemuel 
Train  is  in  it,  an'  Truxton,  of  the  Diamond  Dot, 


CAMPAIGN   GUNS  299 

Holcomb,  of  the  Star,  Yeager,  of  the  Three 
Diamond,  Clark,  of  the  Circle  Y,  Henningson, 
of  the  Three  Bar,  Toban,  of  the  T  Down,  an' 
some  more  which  has  come  in  for  the  racket  to 
night.  Countin'  'em  all — the  punchers  which 
have  come  in  with  the  fellows  I  have  named — 
there'll  be  about  seventy-five. 

"An',  say!"  he  added,  suddenly  confronting 
Hollis  and  grasping  him  by  the  shoulder  and 
shaking  him  playfully  and  admiringly,  "  there 
wouldn't  a  durn  one  of  them  have  come  over  here 
on  my  account.  They  up  an'  told  me  so  when  I 
asked  them.  Said  they'd  nothin'  ag'in  me,  but 
they  wasn't  considerin'  votin'  at  all.  But  since 
Hollis  wanted  me — well,  they'd  come  over  just 
to  show  you  that  they  appreciated  what  you'd 
done  for  them !  " 

Hollis  smiled.  He  did  not  tell  Allen  that 
since  the  appearance  of  the  Kicker  containing 
the  announcement  that  he  was  to  be  its  candidate 
he  had  written  every  small  rancher  in  the  vicin 
ity,  requesting  as  a  personal  favor  that  they  ap 
pear  in  Dry  Bottom  on  the  day  of  the  primary; 
that  these  letters  had  been  delivered  by  Ace,  and 
that  when  the  poet  returned  he  had  presented 
Hollis  with  a  list  containing  the  name  of  every 
rancher  who  had  promised  to  come,  and  that 
several  days  before  Hollis  had  known  approxi- 


300    THE   COMING  OF   THE  LAW 

mately  how  many  votes  Allen  would  receive  at 
the  primary.  He  did  not  intend  that  Allen 
should  know  this — or  that  he  had  been  going 
quietly  from  one  Dry  Bottom  merchant  to  an 
other,  appealing  to  them  for  their  support.  And 
the  earnestness  with  which  many  of  them  had 
promised  had  convinced  him  that  the  primary 
was  to  be  the  beginning  of  the  end  for  Bill  Wat- 
kins  and  Dunlavey. 

When  he  had  first  come  to  Dry  Bottom  it  had 
been  universally  conceded  by  the  town's  citizens 
that  his  differences  with  Dunlavey  and  the  Cat 
tlemen's  Association  were  purely  personal,  and 
there  had  been  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  the 
citizens  to  let  them  fight  it  out  between  them 
selves.  But  of  late  there  had  come  a  change  in 
that  sentiment.  The  change  had  been  gradual, 
beginning  with  the  day  when  he  had  told  the 
author  of  the  notice  that  had  appeared  on  the 
door  of  the  Kicker  office  not  to  hold  the  express 
on  his  account.  But  the  change  had  come  and 
it  was  evident  that  it  was  to  be  permanent.  It 
had  only  been  necessary  to  arouse  the  govern 
ment  to  the  situation  in  order  to  secure  interven 
tion.  He  had  hoped  to  secure  this  intervention 
without  being  forced  to  a  hostile  clash  with  the 
opposition,  but  his  first  meeting  with  Dunlavey 
had  spoiled  that.  Subsequent  events  had  wid 
ened  the  breach. 


CAMPAIGN   GUNS  301 

He  was  satisfied.  Let  Bill  Watkins  be  de 
feated  for  sheriff  and  Dunlavey  was  beaten. 
But  there  was  much  to  be  done  before  that  desir 
able  end  could  be  achieved. 

Following  the  custom  the  primary  was  to  be 
held  in  the  sheriff's  office.  Watkins  had  issued 
a  proclamation  some  weeks  before;  it  had  ap 
peared  on  the  door  of  the  sheriff's  office — a  writ 
ten  notice,  tacked  to  the  door — but  it  had  been 
removed  the  same  day.  Obviously,  it  was  the 
sheriff's  intention  to  conduct  the  primary  as 
quietly  as  possible,  hoping  no  doubt  to  disarm 
whatever  opposition  might  develop.  But  Hollis 
had  been  apprised  of  the  appearance  of  the  pro 
clamation  and  had  quietly  proceeded  to  plant  the 
seed  of  opposition  to  Watkins  in  the  minds  of  his 
friends. 

He  had  been  warned  by  Judge  Graney  that 
Watkins  would  try  to  "  pack  "  the  sheriff's  office 
with  his  friends  on  the  night  of  the  primary. 
This  had  been  the  usual  method  employed  by 
Dunlavey  when  opposition  to  Watkins  devel 
oped.  Drunken,  dissolute,  dangerous  men  were 
usually  on  hand  to  overawe  the  opposition;  the 
Judge  told  of  instances  in  which  gunplay  had  de 
veloped.  But  Hollis  had  determined  that  Wat- 
kins  must  be  beaten. 

Allen  did  not  stay  long  in  the  Kicker  office. 
Nor,  for  that  matter,  did  Hollis.  Once,  during 


302     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

the  morning,  he  went  down  to  the  court  house  to 
talk  with  Judge  Graney.  Then  he  returned  to 
the  Kicker  office  and  worked  until  noon. 

During  the  morning  there  had  been  a  surpris 
ing  influx  of  visitors.  Bronzed  punchers  on 
dusty,  drooping  ponies  rode  down  the  town's  one 
street,  dropped  from  their  saddles,  and  sought 
the  saloons.  Groups  of  them  swarmed  the 
streets  and  the  stores.  As  Hollis  walked  down 
to  his  office  after  leaving  the  court  house,  he  was 
kept  busy  nodding  to  friends — many  of  whom 
had  become  such  during  the  later  days  of  the 
drought.  Merchants  grinned  at  him  from  their 
doorways;  Dunlavey's  friends  sneered  as  he 
passed  or  sent  ribald  jokes  after  him. 

At  noon  he  went  to  the  Alhambra  for  lunch. 
Almost  the  first  person  he  saw  there  was  Dun- 
lavey.  The  latter  grinned  at  him  mockingly. 

"  Friends  of  yours  in  town  to-day,"  he  said 
with  a  sneer.  "  Well,  you'll  need  them!  " 

His  voice  had  been  loud  enough  for  all  in  the 
restaurant  to  hear.  Hollis  did  not  answer, 
though  he  appreciated  the  significance  of  Dun 
lavey's  words ;  they  told  him  that  the  Circle  Cross 
manager  was  aware  of  the  contemplated  contest 
and  was  ready  for  it. 

During  the  afternoon  Dry  Bottom  presented 
a  decidedly  different  appearance  from  the  day 


CAMPAIGN   GUNS  303 

when  Hollis  had  first  viewed  it.  Animation  had 
succeeded  desolation.  Perhaps  a  hundred  cow- 
ponies  were  hitched  to  the  rails  that  paralleled 
the  fronts  of  the  saloons,  the  stores,  and  many 
of  the  private  dwellings.  It  was  apparent  that 
many  of  the  visitors  had  made  the  trip  to  town 
for  the  double  purpose  of  voting  and  securing 
supplies,  for  mixed  with  the  ponies  were  numer 
ous  wagons  of  various  varieties,  their  owners 
loading  them  with  boxes  and  crates.  Men 
swarmed  the  sidewalks ;  the  saloons  buzzed. 

Toward  dusk  the  volume  of  noise  in  the 
saloons  drowned  all  sound  outside.  Having 
made  their  purchases  the  ranchers  who  had 
driven  in  for  supplies  and  had  loaded  their 
wagons  preparatory  to  departure  found  time  to 
join  their  friends  and  acquaintances  over  a  con 
vivial  glass.  By  the  time  the  kerosene  lamps 
were  lighted  in  the  saloons  revelry  reigned. 
From  one  saloon  issued  the  shrieking,  discordant 
notes  of  a  violin,  accompanied  by  the  scuffling  of 
feet;  from  another  came  laughter  and  the  clink 
ing  of  glasses;  from  still  another  came  harsh 
oaths  and  obscene  shouts.  In  the  latter  place 
rose  the  laughter  of  women. 

Seated  at  his  desk  near  the  front  window  of 
the  Kicker  office  Hollis  gravely  watched  the 
scene — listened  to  the  sounds.  In  another  chair 


304     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

sat  Potter.  There  was  no  light  in  the  office; 
neither  man  had  thought  of  a  light.  As  the 
revelry  in  the  saloons  increased  the  printer 
glanced  furtively  at  his  chief. 

"  There'll  be  hell  to-night!  "  he  said. 

"  I  expect  there  will  be  trouble,"  agreed 
Hollis. 

Potter  shifted  uneasily  in  his  chair,  eyeing  his 
employer  with  a  worried  expression.  He  was 
silent  for  a  moment.  Then  he  cleared  his  throat 
nervously. 

"  Do  you  intend  to  go  there — to  the  sheriff's 
office — to-night?  "  he  questioned. 

Hollis  looked  quickly  at  him.  "  Of  course!  " 
he  said  with  emphasis.  "Why?"  he  interro 
gated. 

"Nothing,"  returned  Potter;  "only "  he 

hesitated  and  then  blurted  out:  "  I  wouldn't  go 
if  I  were  you.  They've  been  saying  that  if  you 
do  there'll  be  trouble.  You  know  what  that 


means." 


"  Who  has  been  saying  that?  "  inquired  Hollis. 

"  I  heard  it  at  noon — in  the  Silver  Dollar. 
Some  of  Dunlavey's  men  sat  near  me  and  I 
heard  them  saying  that  Watkins  was  to  win  if 
they  had  to  put  two  or  three  of  his  chief  oppon 
ents  out  of  business." 

"  I  have  been  expecting  that,"  returned  Hoi- 


lis.  He  said  nothing  more  and  Potter,  having 
done  his  duty,  felt  that  he  had  no  business  to  in 
terfere  further. 

Shortly  after  dark  there  was  a  clatter  of  hoofs 
outside  the  Kicker  office  and  four  men  dis 
mounted  from  their  ponies  and  strode  to  the  of 
fice  door.  They  were  Norton,  Ace,  Lanky,  and 
Bud.  Evidently  Hollis  had  been  awaiting  their 
coming,  for  he  met  them  at  the  door,  greeting 
them  with  the  words :  "  We'll  be  going  at  once ; 
it's  about  time." 

Followed  by  Potter  the  five  strode  rapidly 
down  the  street.  When  they  arrived  at  the 
sheriff's  office  there  were  a  number  of  men  con 
gregated  about  the  door.  Inside  a  kerosene 
lamp  flickered  on  a  table  that  sat  in  the  center 
of  the  room.  Another  lamp  stood  on  Watkins's 
desk,  and  beside  the  desk  sat  Watkins  himself. 

Conversation  died  away  as  Hollis  and  his  men 
approached  the  door  and  stood  in  the  stream  of 
light  from  the  interior.  A  man  stepped  out  of 
the  shadow  of  the  building  and  approached  Hol 
lis,  drawing  him  and  Norton  aside.  It  was 
Allen.  The  latter  had  lost  some  of  the  spright- 
liness  that  had  marked  his  manner  during  his 
conversation  with  Hollis  in  the  Kicker  office  that 
morning — he  was  again  the  cool,  deliberate, 
steady-eyed  man  he  had  been  that  day  in  Judge 


306    THE   COMING   OF  THE  LAW 

Graney's  office  when  Hollis  had  met  him  the  first 
time. 

"  I've  been  waitin'  for  you,"  he  said ;  "  we're 
goin'  to  have  a  scrumptuous  time.  Dunlavey's 
planning  to  pack  her.'"  He  swept  a  hand  to 
ward  the  interior  of  the  office.  "But  each  can 
didate  is  to  be  allowed  two  witnesses.  I've  se 
lected  you  two.  Dunlavey  and  Greasy  are  doing 
the  honors  for  Watkins.  We  might  just  as  well 
go  inside;  we  can't  do  anything  out  here.  There 
won't  be  anything  done  by  any  of  this  gang  un 
til  Dunlavey  says  the  word." 

He  turned  and  stepped  into  the  sheriff's  office, 
Hollis  and  Norton  following. 

Watkins  looked  up  and  surveyed  them  with  a 
bland  smile  as  they  entered  and  dropped  quietly 
into  the  several  chairs  that  had  been  provided. 

"  I  reckon  she's  goin'  to  be  some  hot  to 
night?"  significantly  remarked  Watkins,  ad 
dressing  himself  to  Allen. 

"  Maybe,"  grinned  Allen. 

:<  We're  goin'  to  take  a  hand  in  handlin'  the 
Law,"  significantly  remarked  Norton. 

Watkins's  face  reddened.  He  stared  offen 
sively  at  Hollis. 

"  I  reckon  you're  a  witness,  too,"  he  said, 
sneering.  "  Well,"  he  went  on  as  Hollis  gravely 
nodded,  "  the  law  says  that  a  witness  to  the  count 


CAMPAIGN   GUNS  307 

must  be  a  resident  of  the  county.  An'  I  reckon 
you  ain't.  You  ain't  been " 

"  He  stays,"  interrupted  Allen,  shortly. 
"  That's  settled." 

Watkins's  face  bloated  with  a  sudden  anger, 
but  he  wheeled  without  replying  and  gave  his 
attention  to  some  papers  lying  on  the  desk  in 
front  of  him. 

For  a  long  time  the  four  sat  in  silence.  Out 
side  arose  voices  of  men — growing  in  volume. 
There  was  a  jam  around  the  door;  looking  out 
Hollis  could  see  the  bronzed,  grim  faces  of  the 
punchers  as  they  crowded  close,  moved  by  a 
spirit  of  curiosity.  Hollis  could  hear  exclama 
tions  of  impatience,  though  the  majority  of  the 
men  outside  stood  in  silence,  waiting. 

Plainly,  nothing  was  to  be  done  until  the  ar 
rival  of  Dunlavey.  And  presently  he  came. 

He  had  not  been  drinking ;  he  was  undeniably 
sober  and  self-possessed.  As  he  entered  the 
door  of  the  office  there  was  a  sudden  surge  on  the 
part  of  the  crowd — several  of  the  men  tried  to 
force  their  way  in  behind  Dunlavey.  But  he 
halted  on  the  threshold,  scowling  back  at  them 
and  uttering  the  one  word:  "Wait!"  The 
crowd  fell  back  at  the  command  and  watched. 

Dunlavey  stepped  across  the  room,  standing 
beside  Watkins,  his  rapid  glance  noting  the  pres- 


308    THE   COMING   OF  THE  LAW 

ence  of  the  three  members  of  the  opposition. 
He  ignored  Hollis  and  Norton,  speaking  to 
Allen. 

"  So  you're  sure  enough  going  to  run?"  he 
said. 

"  Sure,"  returned  Allen.  He  rose  slowly, 
stepped  deliberately  across  the  room,  closed  the 
door,  and  stood  with  his  back  to  it. 

"  We're  all  here  now,"  he  said  quietly,  "  and  I 
want  to  talk  a  little.  There  ain't  no  one  going 
to  hear  what  I've  got  to  say  but  them  I'm  going 
to  say  it  to.  I  reckon  that  goes?  "  He  turned 
to  Dunlavey. 

Dunlavey  had  shown  some  evidence  of  sur 
prise  over  Allen's  action  in  closing  the  door,  but 
this  immediately  gave  way  to  a  sneer  of  mockery. 
"  I  reckon  you've  forgot  Greasy,"  he  said. 

"  Why,  I  sure  have! "  returned  Allen  evenly. 
He  opened  the  door  a  trifle  and  called: 
"Greasy!" 

Evidently  Greasy  had  been  waiting  at  the  door, 
for  he  immediately  came  in,  slouching  across  the 
floor  and  standing  beside  Watkins  and  Dun 
lavey.  Allen  closed  the  door  and  adjusted  the 
fastenings  carefully.  Then  he  turned  again  to 
Dunlavey. 

"  Now  we'll  proceed  to  do  the  talking,"  he 
said.  He  walked  over  to  the  chair  that  he  had 


CAMPAIGN   GUNS  309 

previously  vacated,  dropping  carelessly  into  it 
and  leaning  comfortably  back.  His  movements 
had  been  those  of  a  man  unquestionably  sure  of 
peace.  The  expression  of  his  eyes,  the  tones  of 
his  voice,  his  deliberation  hinted  at  a  desire  for  a 
peaceful  compromise. 

But  once  seated  in  his  chair  a  startling  change 
came  over  him.  There  was  a  rapid  movement 
at  his  sides,  a  mere  flash  of  light,  and  two  heavy 
six-shooters  appeared  suddenly  in  his  hands  and 
lay  there,  unaimed,  but  forbiddingly  ready.  He 
sat  erect,  his  eyes  chilled  and  glittering,  alert, 
filled  with  menace. 

"  Now,"  he  said  sharply,  "  the  first  man  who 
peeps  above  a  whisper  gets  his  so  plenty  that  he 
won't  care  a  damn  who's  nominated  for  sheriff !  " 
He  spoke  to  Norton  and  Hollis  without  turning 
his  head.  "  You  two  get  whatever  guns  them 
gentlemen  happen  to  have  on  them,  standing  to 
one  side  so's  I  can  see  to  perforate  anyone  who 
ain't  agreeable  to  handing  them  over." 

Norton  rose  and  approached  Dunlavey,  while 
Hollis  stepped  forward  to  the  sheriff  and  secured 
the  weapon  that  reposed  in  a  holster  at  his  right 
hip.  He  did  likewise  with  Greasy.  While 
Norton  was  relieving  Dunlavey  of  his  weapon 
the  sheriff  opened  his  lips  to  speak,  his  gaze  fixed 
doubtfully  on  one  of  Allen's  sixes. 


310    THE   COMING  OF   THE  LAW 

"  The  law "  he  began.  But  Allen  inter 
rupted  with  a  grin. 

"  Sure,"  he  said,  "  the  law  didn't  figure  on  this. 
But  I  reckon  you  heard  Big  Bill  say  once  that 
the  law  could  be  handled.  I'm  handling  it  now. 
But  I  reckon  that  lets  you  out — you  ain't  in  on 
this  and  the  mourners'll  be  after  you  to-morrow 
if  you  open  your  trap  again !  " 

The  sheriff  swelled  with  rage,  but  he  closed  his 
lips  tightly.  When  Hollis  and  Norton  had  com 
pleted  their  search  for  weapons  and  had  laid  the 
result  of  their  search  on  the  table  near  Allen  they 
sought  their  chairs. 

Dunlavey  had  said  nothing.  He  stood  beside 
Watkins's  desk,  still  self-possessed,  the  mocking 
smile  still  on  his  face,  though  into  his  eyes  had 
come  a  doubting,  worried  expression.  Plainly 
he  had  not  anticipated  such  drastic  action  from 
Allen. 

The  latter  laughed  grimly,  quietly.  "  Sort  of 
unexpected,  wasn't  it,  Bill? "  he  said,  addressing 
Dunlavey.  "  It  ain't  just  the  sort  of  politics 
that  you've  been  used  to.  But  I'm  kind  of  used 
to  it  myself.  Had  to  pull  the  same  game  off 
over  in  Colfax  County  when  I  was  runnin'  for 
sheriff  the  first  time.  It  worked,  too,  because 
the  folks  that  was  mixed  up  in  it  knowed  I  wasn't 
ringing  in  any  bluff."  He  looked  at  Dunlavey 


CAMPAIGN   GUNS  311 

with  a  level,  steady  gaze,  his  eyes  gleaming 
coldly.  "  If  you  think  I'm  bluffing  now,  chirp 
for  some  one  of  your  pluguglies  to  bust  into  this 
game.  I'd  sort  of  like  to  let  off  my  campaign 
guns  into  your  dirty  gizzard !  " 

Hollis  had  been  watching  Dunlavey  closely. 
There  was  no  fear  in  the  man's  eyes;  even  the 
doubt  and  worry  that  had  been  there  had  dis 
appeared  and  his  expression  was  now  mildly 
ironical,  contrasting  oddly  with  the  demeanor  of 
Watkins — who  was  plainly  frightened — and 
that  of  Greasy — who  smirked  and  showed  his 
teeth  like  some  beast  at  bay  and  in  fear  of  death. 
It  was  evident  that  Dunlavey  possessed  the 
spirit  of  the  fighter,  that  indomitable  courage 
which  enables  a  man  to  face  any  situation  and 
still  retain  his  presence  of  mind,  which  permits 
him  to  face  death  unafraid  and  unyielding.  In 
spite  of  the  enmity  that  had  existed  between  them 
from  the  beginning,  Hollis  had  always  respected 
Dunlavey  for  these  very  qualities,  and  within  the 
last  few  minutes  that  respect  had  grown. 

Dunlavey's    eyes   gleamed   as   he   looked   at 

Allen.     "  I  don't  think  you  would  try  to  work 

any    bluff     on    me,    Allen,"    he    said    quietly. 

*  You've  took  me  by  surprise,  that's  a  fact.    But 

let's  get  down  to  business.    What's  your  game?  " 

"  I  reckon  that's  a  sensible  way  to  look  at  it," 


312     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

returned  Allen  evenly.  "  That's  the  way  I  ex 
pected  you'd  look  at  it  when  you  begun  to  real 
ize  that  I  was  holding  some  pretty  good  cards. 
There  ain't  nothing  personal  in  this ;  I'm  out  for 
a  square  deal  and  I'm  going  to  get  it.  I  want 
you  to  understand  that  I'm  running  this  game 
to-night  and  I'm  running  it  square.  If  I  get 
enough  votes  I'm  going  to  be  the  next  sheriff. 
If  I  don't  get  enough  votes  Bill  Watkins'll  be  it. 
But  the  votes  are  going  to  be  real  votes.  I  ain't 
figuring  on  letting  your  gang  pack  in  here  and 
keep  my  friends  from  voting. 

"  I'm  going  to  put  your  hat  on  this  table. 
Then  Norton  will  open  the  door  and  let  one  man 
come  in.  That  man  will  vote — for  whoever  he 
pleases.  Then  Mr.  Hollis  will  let  him  out  the 
back  door  and  Norton  will  let  another  man  in 
the  front.  There  won't  be  any  row.  I'm  tell 
ing  you  that  you  and  Bill  Watkins  and  Greasy 
are  going  to  set  here  and  watch  the  voting.  I'm 
going  to  stand  behind  you  with  one  of  my  guns 
tucked  under  your  fifth  rib.  If  you,  or  Wat- 
kins,  or  Greasy  let  out  a  yawp  that  can  be  con 
strued  as  a  signal  for  anyone  to  bust  into  the 
game,  or  if  there's  anything  started  by  your 
friends  which  ain't  your  doing,  I'm  going  to 
pump  six  chunks  of  lead  into  you  so  fast  that 
they'll  be  playing  tag  with  one  another  going 


CAMPAIGN   GUNS  313 

through.  I  reckon  you  get  me.  That  ends  the 
palaver." 

He  arose,  snatched  Dunlavey's  hat  from  his 
head,  placed  it  on  the  table,  and  walked  be 
hind  Dunlavey,  standing  against  the  wall. 

"Open  the  door!"  he  directed,  looking  at 
Norton. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

HANDLING  THE  LAW 

NORTON  opened  the  door  a  trifle  and 
called  "  One  man  at  a  time  1 "  There  were 
some  hoarse  shouts  from  without — pre 
sumably  from  Dunlavey's  friends;  a  chorus  of 
derisive  laughter  from  Allen's.  Then  the  first 
man  entered. 

It  was  Ace.  The  poet  stood  for  an  instant, 
blinking  at  the  light,  then  he  grinned  as  his  gaze 
rested  on  the  occupants  of  the  room.  He  was 
directed  how  to  cast  his  ballot.  He  took  the 
piece  of  paper  that  was  given  him  by  Norton, 
scrawled  "  Allen  "  across  it  with  a  pencil  that 
Norton  had  previously  placed  on  the  table,  and 
dropped  the  paper  into  Dunlavey's  hat.  Hollis 
opened  the  rear  door  for  him,  but  he  halted  on 
the  threshold,  looking  back  into  the  room  with  a 
broad  grin. 

"  Gawd  A'mighty! "  he  said  in  an  awed  tone; 
"  there  must  have  been  a  wad  of  money  blowed  in 
in  this  here  town  to-day!  Drunks!  Man  alive 

814 


HANDLING   THE  LAW        315 

there  ain't  nothin'  but  drunks ;  the  town's  reelin' 
with  'em!  They're  layin'  in  the  street;  there's  a 
dozen  in  the  Silver  Dollar  an'  that  many  more 
in  the  Fashion — an'  Gawd  knows  how  many 
more  in  the  other  saloons.  Their  heads  is  under 
the  tables ;  they're  hangin'  on  the  walls  an'  claw- 
in'  around  in  spittoons — gle-or-i-ously,  be-ut- 
i-fully  paralyzed!" 

He  was  suddenly  outside,  pushed  through  the 
door  by  Hollis,  and  the  door  closed  after  him. 
Hollis  glanced  furtively  at  Dunlavey  to  see  that 
gentleman  scowl.  He  thought  he  saw  a  ques 
tioning  glint  in  Allen's  eyes  as  the  latter  looked 
suddenly  at  him,  but  he  merely  smiled  and  gave 
his  attention  to  the  next  man,  who  was  now  en 
tering. 

The  latter  proved  to  be  Lemuel  Train.  He 
did  his  voting  quietly  and  grimly.  But  as  he 
went  out  through  the  door  that  Hollis  opened 
for  him  he  growled :  "  Lordy,  what  a  drunken 
bunch!  "  He  looked  at  Hollis.  "  One  of  your 
men,  too,"  he  said,  grinning  slightly.  "  I 
thought  you  taught  them  better!" 

Hollis  frowned.  He  knew  that  Allen  would 
need  all  his  friends ;  none  of  them  could  be  spared 
in  this  crisis.  He  smiled  incredulously.  It  had 
been  only  a  short  time  before  that  his  men  had 
accompanied  him  to  the  door  of  the  sheriff's 


316    THE   COMING   OV   THE  LAW 

office.  At  that  time  they  were  perfectly  sober. 
It  would  have  been  impossible  for  any  of  them — 

"  An'  Ten  Spot's  a  hummer  when  he  gits 
started,"  Train  was  saying.  "  I've  seen  him  be 
fore  when  he  cut  loose  an*  he  sure  is  a  holy 
terror ! " 

Then  with  a  word  of  parting  Train  was  gone, 
saying  that  he  had  done  all  the  "  damage  "  he 
could  and  that  he  purposed  "  hitting  "  the  trail 
back  to  his  ranch. 

He  had  certainly  done  some  damage  to  Hollis. 
The  latter's  mind  now  rioted  with  all  sorts  of 
conjecture  and  he  mechanically  did  his  work  of 
letting  man  after  man  out  through  the  rear  door, 
scarcely  seeing  them. 

He  was  aware  of  an  odd  expression  that  had 
come  into  Dunlavey's  eyes  at  the  mention  of  Ten 
Spot.  Had  Dunlavey  succeeded  in  bribing  Ten 
Spot  to  desert  him?  He  had  left  Ten  Spot  at 
the  Circle  Bar,  not  inviting  him  to  Dry  Bottom 
because  he  felt  that  the  latter  would  rather  not 
come  since  he  had  deserted  Dunlavey.  And  Ten 
Spot  had  come  to  town  anyway.  What  did  it 
mean?  Did  it  mean  that  Ten  Spot  had  come  to 
assist  Dunlavey  in  nominating  Watkins  and  de 
feating  his  new  employer? 

He  frowned  again,  and  for  the  next  few  min 
utes  gravely  studied  Dunlavey's  face.  He  was 


HANDLING   THE  LAW         317 

sure  that  the  latter's  manner  had  changed.  The 
mocking  smile  which  had  been  on  his  face  since 
his  arrival  at  the  sheriff's  office  had  been  super 
seded  by  a  huge  grin — plainly  of  anticipation. 
Ten  Spot — dangerous,  reckless,  drunk,  at  the 
head  of  a  number  of  dissolute  men,  had  it  in  his 
power  to  make  things  decidedly  interesting 
should  he  advance  on  the  sheriff's  office  with  the 
intention  of  assisting  Dunlavey. 

Several  times  since  hiring  Ten  Spot  Hollis 
had  doubted  him.  The  suspicion  had  assailed 
him  that  perhaps  the  appearance  of  Ten  Spot  at 
the  Hazelton  cabin  so  opportunely  had  been  a 
part  of  a  plot  by  Dunlavey  to  place  a  spy  in  his 
employ.  They  might  have  purposely  sacrificed 
Yuma. 

During  the  next  quarter  of  an  hour  he  gave 
more  attention  to  Dunlavey  than  to  the  steady 
stream  of  men  that  passed  through  the  room, 
though  he  recognized  a  goodly  number  as  friends 
he  had  made  during  the  latter  days  of  the 
drought. 

Allen's  spirits  had  risen  during  the  last  quarter 
of  an  hour.  His  maneuver  had  dissipated  Dun- 
lavey's  strength  and  it  was  plain  to  be  seen  that 
a  majority  of  the  votes  cast  were  for  him.  If 
nothing  unusual  or  unexpected  happened  within 
the  next  hour,  or  until  nine  o'clock,  the  hour 


318     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

named  in  Watkins's  proclamation  for  the  closing 
of  the  polls,  he  was  assured  of  victory. 

Thoughts  of  the  same  character  were  passing 
through  Hollis's  mind.  There  was  silence  in 
the  office.  A  man  was  voting  at  the  table — 
writing  his  favorite's  name  on  a  piece  of  paper. 
Hollis  consulted  his  watch.  It  lacked  over  an 
hour  of  the  time  for  closing.  The  man  at  the 
table  finished  writing  and  tossed  the  paper  into 
the  hat.  Hollis  opened  the  rear  door  to  allow 
him  to  go  out.  While  the  door  remained  open  a 
sound  floated  in,  which  they  all  heard — an  ear- 
splitting  screech,  followed  instantly  by  a  chorus 
of  yells,  a  pistol  report,  more  yells,  and  then  a 
number  of  reports. 

Norton  did  not  open  the  door.  He  exchanged 
glances  with  Hollis  and  Allen.  Dunlavey 
grinned  widely. 

"  Something's  coming,"  remarked  Allen 
grimly. 

Dunlavey's  grin  grew  derisive.  "  It  would 
sure  be  too  bad  if  my  friends  should  bust  up  this 
peace  meeting,"  he  sneered. 

"  There  won't  be  nothin'  spoiled,"  grimly  as 
sured  Allen.  But  he  drew  his  other  six-shooter. 

The  sounds  outside  grew  in  volume  as  they 
swept  toward  the  sheriff's  office.  They  broke 
presently  at  the  door  and  an  ominous  silence  sue- 


HANDLING   THE   LAW         310 

ceeded.  Then  a  voice  reached  the  interior — 
harsh  authoritative — Ten  Spot's  voice. 

"  Open  up,  you  damned  shorthorns !  "  it  said. 

Norton  looked  at  Allen.  The  latter's  face 
was  pale.  "  They  come  in,"  he  directed,  "  like 
the  others — one  at  a  time." 

Norton  carefully  withdrew  the  bar  with  which 
the  door  was  fastened,  swinging  it  open  slightly. 
As  he  did  so  there  was  a  sudden  rush  of  bodies ; 
Norton  tried  to  jam  the  door  shut,  failed,  and 
was  flung  back  several  steps  by  the  surging,  yell 
ing  crowd  that  piled  tumultuously  into  the  room. 

There  were  perhaps  twenty  of  them  and  as 
they  surged  into  the  room,  shouting  and  cursing 
and  laughing  Hollis  recognized  among  them 
many  men  that  he  had  come  to  know  by  sight. 
They  were  of  the  reckless,  lawless  element  upon 
which  Dunlavey  had  relied  for  his  support — men 
of  Ten  Spot's  character.  They  had  been  drink 
ing,  but  in  spite  of  their  laughter  and  loud  talk 
ing  it  was  plain  to  be  seen  that  they  had  deter 
mined  not  to  be  balked  in  the  purpose  which  had 
brought  them  into  the  office. 

There  was  now  no  need  to  guard  the  door ;  the 
damage  had  been  wrought,  and  Norton  backed 
away,  leaving  the  door  ajar,  pale,  grim  eyed, 
alert,  ready  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  trouble 
which  he  felt  certain  was  sure  to  develop.  Some- 


thing  in  the  faces  of  the  men  who  had  come  in 
with  Ten  Spot  proclaimed  trouble. 

Allen  had  not  moved.  He  still  stood  behind 
Dunlavey,  but  his  weapons  no  longer  menaced 
the  Circle  Cross  manager;  their  muzzles,  level 
and  forbidding,  were  covering  the  other  men. 

Standing  quietly  beside  the  rear  door,  his  face 
pale,  his  eyes  bright,  his  lips  in  straight  lines, 
Hollis  watched  closely  as  the  visitors,  having 
gained  entrance,  gathered  together  in  the  center 
of  the  room.  They  were  not  awed  by  Allen's 
weapons;  they  grinned  hugely  at  him.  One 
man,  a  young  man  of  about  Hollis's  age, 
bronzed,  lean,  reckless  of  eye,  and  unmistakably 
under  the  influence  of  liquor,  lunged  forward  to 
Allen  and  stood  within  arm's  length  of  him,  grin 
ning  at  him. 

"  Two  guns !  "  he  said  with  a  laugh.  "  Why, 
I  reckon  you'd  make  a  hell  of  a  sheriff!  " 

A  chorus  of  laughter  greeted  the  young  cow 
boy's  words.  Dunlavey  grinned  widely.  '  You 
boys  are  just  in  time,"  he  said. 

There  was  another  roar  of  laughter.  Many 
of  the  men  seemed  only  now  to  have  become 
aware  of  Dunlavey's  presence  and  they  surged 
forward  around  him,  disregarding  Allen's  guns. 
The  latter  seemed  to  realize  that  the  situation 
had  passed  beyond  his  control,  for  catching  Hoi- 


HANDLING   THE   LAW         321 

lis's  eye  he  smiled  grimly  and  sheathed  his  weap 
ons,  seeking  Hollis's  side. 

"  It's  no  use,"  he  said  shortly  to  Hollis  as  he 
came  near ;  "  they'll  run  things  to  suit  themselves 
now.  I  wasn't  expectin'  Ten  Spot  to  butt  into 
the  game." 

"  I  reckon  they've  got  us."  Norton  had  also 
sought  Hollis's  side  and  the  three  stood  near  the 
rear  door,  watching  the  crowd  around  Dunlavey. 
Hollis  tried  to  catch  Ten  Spot's  gaze  but  failed 
— the  latter  seemed  studiously  to  avoid  him. 

A  wave  of  dull  anger  surged  through  Hollis's 
veins.  Until  now  the  contest  had  been  con 
ducted  fairly ;  they  had  given  Dunlavey  and  Wat- 
kins  an  honest  election,  even  though  they  had 
found  it  necessary  to  eliminate  them  as  active 
participants.  From  now  on  he  was  assured  the 
contest  would  be  a  joke — though  a  grim  one. 
He  had  depended  upon  Allen's  success — it  meant 
much  to  him.  The  thought  of  failure  just  when 
victory  was  within  his  grasp  aroused  him  and  in 
spite  of  Norton's  low  word  of  caution  he  stepped 
forward  and  stood  beside  the  table  on  which  re 
posed  the  hat  into  which  the  ballots  had  been 
placed  by  the  men  who  had  previously  voted. 
He  intended  to  take  personal  charge  of  the  hat, 
determined  upon  securing  a  fair  deal  in  spite  of 
the  great  odds. 


822     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

As  he  stepped  forward  he  saw  Greasy  grin 
maliciously  and  try  to  snatch  a  gun  from  the 
holster  of  a  cowboy  who  stood  near  him.  This 
attempt  was  frustrated  by  the  puncher,  who  sud 
denly  dropped  his  hand  to  his  holster,  where  it 
closed  upon  Greasy's.  The  puncher  snarled, 
muttered  profanely,  and  struck  furiously  at 
Greasy,  knocking  him  down  in  a  corner. 

Other  men  moved.  There  were  curses;  the 
flashing  of  metal  as  guns  came  out.  Hollis  felt 
rather  than  saw  Norton  and  Allen  advance  to 
ward  the  table  and  stand  beside  him.  A  grim 
smile  wreathed  his  face  over  the  knowledge  that 
in  the  crowd  there  were  at  least  two  men  upon 
whom  he  might  depend  to  the  end — whatever  the 
end  might  be. 

He  heard  Dunlavey  snarl  an  oath,  saw  his 
big  form  loom  out  of  the  crowd,  saw  one  of  his 
gigantic  hands  reach  for  the  hat  on  the  table. 

"I  reckon  I'll  take  charge  of  this  now!"  he 
sneered,  his  brutal  face  close  to  Hollis's. 

Hollis  would  have  struck  the  face  that  was  so 
close  to  his,  but  at  the  instant  he  saw  Dunlavey's 
hand  reach  out  for  the  hat  he  saw  another  hand 
dart  out  from  the  other  side  of  the  table,  seize  the 
hat,  and  draw  it  out  of  Dunlavey's  reach. 

"  I  don't  reckon  that  you'll  take  charge  of 
her !  "  said  a  voice. 


HANDLING   THE   LAW         323 

Hollis  turned  quickly.  Over  the  table  leaned 
Ten  Spot,  the  captured  hat  in  his  hand,  a  big 
forty-five  in  the  other,  a  cold,  evil  glitter  in  his 
eyes  as  he  looked  up  at  Dunlavey. 

"I  don't  reckon  that  you're  goin'  to  have  a 
hand  in  runnin'  this  show  a-tall,  Bill,"  he  sneered. 
"  Me  an'  my  friends  come  down  here  special  to 
tend  to  that."  He  grinned  the  shallow,  hard 
grin  that  marks  the  passing  of  a  friendship  and 
the  dawn  of  a  bitter  hatred.  "  You  see,  Bill, 
me  an'  my  friends  has  got  sorta  tired  of  the  way 
you've  been  runnin'  things  an'  we're  shufflin'  the 
cards  for  a  new  deal.  This  here  tenderfoot 
which  you've  been  a-slanderin'  shameful  is  man's 
size  an'  we're  seein'  that  he  gits  a  fair  shake  in 
this  here.  I  reckon  you  git  me?" 

Hollis  felt  Norton  poking  him  in  the  ribs,  but 
he  did  not  turn ;  he  was  too  intent  upon  watching 
the  two  principal  actors  in  the  scene.  Tragedy 
had  been  imminent;  comedy  was  slowly  gaining 
the  ascendency.  For  at  the  expression  that  had 
come  over  Dunlavey's  face  several  of  the  men 
were  grinning  broadly.  Were  the  stakes  not  so 
great  Hollis  would  have  felt  like  smiling  himself. 
Dunlavey  seemed  stunned.  He  stood  erect,  pass 
ing  his  hand  over  his  forehead  as  though  half  con 
vinced  that  the  scene  were  an  illusion  and  that 
the  movement  of  the  hand  would  dispel  it.  Sev- 


324     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

eral  times  his  lips  moved,  but  no  words  came  and 
he  turned,  looking  about  at  the  men  who  were 
gathered  around  him,  scanning  their  faces  for 
signs  that  would  tell  him  that  they  were  not  in 
sympathy  with  Ten  Spot.  But  the  faces  that  he 
looked  upon  wore  mocking  grins  and  sneers. 

"  An*  I've  been  tellin'  the  boys  how  you  set 
Yuma  on  Nellie  Hazelton,  an'  they've  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  a  guy  which  will  play  a  low 
down  mean  game  like  that  on  a  woman  ain't  no 
fit  guy  to  have  no  hand  in  any  law  makin'." 

Ten  Spot's  voice  fell  coldly  and  metallically  in 
the  silence  of  the  room.  Slowly  recovering  from 
the  shock  Dunlavey  attempted  a  sneer,  which 
gradually  faded  into  a  mirthless  smile  as  Ten 
Spot  continued: 

"  An'  you  ain't  goin'  to  have  a  hand  in  any 
more  law-makin'  in  this  man's  town.  Me  an'  my 
friends  is  goin'  to  see  to  that,  an'  my  boss,  Mr. 
Hollis.  I  reckon  that'll  be  about  all.  You  don't 
need  to  hang  around  here  while  we  do  the  rest 
of  the  votin'.  Watkins  an'  Greasy  c'n  stay  to 
see  that  everything  goes  on  regular."  He  grin 
ned  wickedly  as  Dunlavey  stiffened.  "  I  reckon 
you  know  me,  Bill.  I  ain't  palaverin'  none. 
You  an'  Ten  Spot  is  quits!  " 

He  stepped  back  a  little,  away  from  the  table, 
his  teeth  showing  in  a  mocking  grin.  Then  he 


HANDLING   THE   LAW         325 

looked  down  at  the  hat  which  he  still  held  in  his 
hand — Dunlavey's  hat.  He  laughed.  "  Why, 
I'm  cert'nly  impolite ! "  he  said  insinuatingly. 
"  Here  you've  been  wantin'  to  go  an'  I've  been 
keepin'  your  hat !  "  He  dumped  the  ballots  upon 
the  table  and  passed  the  hat  to  Dunlavey.  With 
out  a  word  Dunlavey  took  it,  jerking  it  savagely, 
placed  it  on  his  head,  and  strode  to  the  door,  step 
ping  down  into  the  street. 

There  was  a  short  silence.  Then  Ten  Spot 
turned  and  looked  at  Hollis,  his  face  wreathed  in 
a  broad  grin. 

"I  reckon  you-all  think  you  know  somethin* 
about  handlin'  the  law,"  he  said,  "  but  your  little 
Ten  Spot  ain't  exactly  the  measliest  card  in  the 
deck !  We'll  do  our  votin'  now." 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later,  after  Ten  Spot 
and  his  friends  had  cast  their  ballots  and  Wat- 
kins  had  been  forced  to  make  out  a  certificate  of 
nomination, — which  reposed  safely  in  Ben  Al 
len's  inside  pocket — the  kerosene  lights  were  ex 
tinguished  and  the  men  filed  out.  Hollis  and 
Ten  Spot  were  the  last  to  leave.  As  they  stood 
for  a  moment  on  the  threshold  of  the  doorway 
Hollis  seized  Ten  Spot's  hand  and  gripped  it 
heartily. 

"  I  want  to  thank  you,  my  friend,"  he  said 
earnestly. 


326     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

Ten  Spot  jerked  his  hand  away.  "  Aw,  hell ! " 
he  said  as  they  sought  the  darkness  of  the  street, 
"  I  ain't  mushin'  none.  "  But,"  he  added,  as  a 
concession  to  his  feelings,  "  I  reckon  to  know  a 
white  man  when  I  see  one!  " 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

AUTUMN  AND  THE  GODS 

IT  was  Sunday  afternoon  and  a  hazy,  golden, 
late  September  sun  was  swimming  lazily  in 
the  blue  arc  of  sky,  flooding  the  lower  gal- 
ery  of  the  Circle  Bar  ranchhouse,  but  not  reach 
ing  a  secluded  nook  in  which  sat  Hollis  and  Nel 
lie  Hazelton.  Mrs.  Norton  was  somewhere  in 
the  house  and  Norton  had  gone  down  to  the 
bunkhouse  for  a  talk  with  the  men — Hollis  and 
Nellie  could  see  him,  sitting  on  a  bench  in  the 
shade  of  the  eaves,  the  other  men  gathered  about 
him. 

Below  the  broad  level  that  stretched  away 
from  the  ranchhouse  sank  the  big  basin,  sweeping 
away  to  the  mountains.  Miles  into  the  distance 
the  Circle  Bar  cattle  could  be  seen — moving  dots 
in  the  center  of  a  great,  green  bowl.  To  the 
right  Razor-Back  ridge  loomed  its  bald  crest  up 
ward  with  no  verdure  saving  the  fringe  of  shrub 
bery  at  its  base ;  to  the  left  stretched  a  vast  plain 
that  met  the  distant  horizon  that  stretched  an  in- 

327 


328     THE   COMING  OF  THE  LAW 

terminable  distance  behind  the  cottonwood.  Ex 
cept  for  the  moving  dots  there  was  a  total  ab 
sence  of  life  and  movement  in  the  big  basin.  It 
spread  in  its  wide,  gradual,  downward  slope, 
bathed  in  the  yellow  sunshine  of  the  new,  mellow 
season,  peacefully  slumberous,  infinitely  beauti 
ful. 

Many  times  had  Hollis  sat  in  the  gallery 
watching  it,  his  eyes  glistening,  his  soul  stirred 
to  awe.  Long  since  had  he  ceased  regretting  the 
glittering  tinsel  of  the  cities  of  his  recollection; 
they  seemed  artificial,  unreal.  When  he  had 
first  gazed  out  over  the  basin  he  had  been  op 
pressed  with  a  sensation  of  uneasiness.  Its  vast- 
ness  had  appalled  him,  its  silence  had  aroused  in 
him  that  vague  disquiet  which  is  akin  to  fear. 
But  these  emotions  had  passed.  He  still  felt 
awed — he  would  always  feel  it,  for  it  seemed  that 
here  he  was  looking  upon  a  section  of  the  world 
in  its  primitive  state ;  that  in  forming  this  world 
the  creator  had  been  in  his  noblest  mood — so  far 
did  the  lofty  mountains,  the  wide,  sweeping  val 
leys,  the  towering  buttes,  and  the  mighty  can 
yons  dwarf  the  flat  hills  and  the  puny  shallows 
of  the  land  he  had  known.  But  he  was  no  longer 
appalled;  disquietude  had  been  superseded  by 
love. 

It  all  seemed  to  hold  some  mystery  for  him — 


AUTUMN  AND   THE   GODS      329 

an  alluring,  soul-stirring  mystery.  The  tawny 
mountains,  immutable  guardians  of  the  basin, 
whose  peaks  rose  somberly  in  the  twilight  glow — 
did  they  hold  it?  Or  was  it  hidden  in  the  basin, 
in  the  great,  green  sweep  that  basked  in  the 
eternal  sunlight? 

Perhaps  there  was  no  mystery.  Perhaps  he 
felt  merely  the  romance  that  would  inevitably 
come  to  one  who  deeply  appreciated  the  beauty 
of  a  land  into  which  he  had  come  so  unwillingly? 
For  romance  was  here. 

He  turned  his  head  slightly  and  looked  at  the 
girl  who  sat  beside  him.  She  also  was  looking 
out  over  the  basin,  her  eyes  filled  with  a  light 
that  thrilled  him.  He  studied  her  face  long,  not 
ing  the  regular  features,  the  slight  tan,  through 
which  shone  the  dusky  bloom  of  perfect  health; 
the  golden  brown  hair,  with  the  wind-blown  wisps 
straggling  over  her  temples;  he  felt  the  unac 
countable,  indefinable  something  that  told  him  of 
her  inborn  innocence  and  purity — qualities  that 
he  had  worshiped  ever  since  he  had  been  old 
enough  to  know  the  difference  between  right  and 
wrong. 

A  deep  respect  moved  him,  a  reverent  smile 
wreathed  his  lips.  Motherly?  Yes,  that  world- 
thrilling  word  aptly  described  her.  And  as  he 
continued  to  look  at  her  he  realized  that  this 


330    THE   COMING   OF   THE   LTAW 

world  held  no  mystery  for  him  beyond  that  which 
was  enthroned  in  the  heart  of  the  girl  who  sat  be 
side  him,  unconscious  of  his  thoughts. 

He  turned  again  toward  the  basin.  He  did 
not  want  to  uncover  the  mystery — yet.  There 
were  still  several  things  to  be  done  before  he 
would  feel  free  to  speak  the  words  that  he  had 
meditated  upon  for  some  weeks.  Meanwhile — 
if  the  gods  were  with  him — the  solving  of  the 
mystery  would  be  the  more  enjoyable. 

Two  weeks  of  inaction  had  followed  the  pri 
mary  incident.  Several  of  Ten  Spot's  friends 
were  now  in  his  employ;  in  spite  of  the  drought 
the  Circle  Bar  had  so  far  experienced  a  very 
prosperous  season,  and,  though  the  addition  of 
the  men  represented  quite  an  item  of  expense, 
he  felt  that  it  was  much  better  to  employ  them 
than  to  allow  them  to  be  re-engaged  by  Dun- 
lavey. 

He  had  been  able  to  save  considerable  money. 
This  he  had  transferred  to  a  bank  in  Santa  Fe, 
for  he  had  determined  to  stay  in  the  West.  He 
had  told  his  mother  of  this  decision  and  had 
asked  her  to  come,  but  she  had  written  that  she 
preferred  to  remain  East  for  a  time — at  least 
until  the  following  spring. 

Hollis  was  satisfied.  Affairs  were  progress 
ing  beyond  his  anticipations.  Dunlavey's  influ- 


AUTUMN  AND    THE    GODS       331 

ence  in  the  county  had  received  a  mighty  blow; 
in  the  defeat  of  Watkins  at  the  primary ;  he  had 
received  notice  of  the  enactment  of  several  new; 
laws  that  would  appreciably  assist  him  in  his 
fight ;  he  had  succeeded  in  winning  many  friends 
because  of  his  attitude  on  the  water  question;  the 
increased  number  of  advertisements  appearing  in 
the  Kicker  would  soon  necessitate  the  addition  of 
an  extra  sheet.  It  all  presaged  prosperity.  Yes, 
he  was  satisfied.  And  yet — 

He  turned  again  and  looked  at  the  girl.  This 
time  he  caught  her  watching  him.  Evidently  she 
had  been  watching  him  for  a  long  time  for  her 
gaze  was  fixed  and  meditative,  as  though  she  had 
been  studying  him.  She  started  and  blushed 
when  he  turned  and  caught  her,  looking  down  in 
sudden  and  complete  confusion.  But  she  looked 
up  again  instantly,  meeting  his  gaze  steadily,  her 
lips  in  a  frank  smile. 

"  You  have  been  thinking  of  this  country,"  she 
said. 

"  You  have  guessed  it,"  he  returned  gravely 
and  gently;  "  I  have  been  thinking  of  this  coun 
try — and  its  people."  He  smiled  at  her,  his  eyes 
shining  with  a  light  that  caused  hers  to  waver  and 
droop.  "But  how  did  you  discover  that?"  he 
questioned.  "  I  was  not  aware  that  I  had  been 
speaking  my  thoughts." 


332     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

"  Do  you  think  it  is  always  necessary  to 
speak?"  she  answered,  looking  at  him  with  a 
quiet  smile.  "  Don't  you  think  there  are  times 
when  one's  thoughts  find  expression  in  one's 
eyes  ?  When  we  can  not  conceal  them — no  mat 
ter  how  hard  we  try?  I  know  that  you  were 
thinking  of  the  country,"  she  went  on  earnestly, 
"  because  a  few  moments  ago  I  had  been  thinking 
of  it  too  and  I  know  that  my  emotions  were  ex 
actly  the  same  as  those  expressed  in  your  eyes.  It 
is  magnificent,  isn't  it? "  she  said  in  an  awed, 
eager  voice.  "  It  is  so  big,  so  mighty,  so  soul- 
stirring.  It  allures  with  its  vastness,  it  dazzles 
with  its  beauty;  it  makes  one  feel  closer  to  the 
Creator,  even  while  pressing  home  a  disquieting 
sense  of  one's  own  insignificance. 

"  For  instance,"  she  went  on,  her  eyes  large 
and  luminous,  a  new,  quiet  color  coming  into  her 
face  "  there  are  times  when  our  tasks  seem  stu 
pendous,  when  we  are  filled  with  an  overpower 
ing  consciousness  of  the  importance  of  them; 
when  we  feel  that  we  are  carrying  such  a  burden 
that  the  addition  of  another  would  make  the  load 
too  heavy.  Then  we  look  upon  God's  work  and 
immediately  a  still,  small  voice  within  us  cries: 
'  What  have  ye  done  in  comparison  to  this  ? ' 
And  what  have  we  done? "  she  suddenly  de 
manded. 


"  Nothing,"  he  returned  gravely,  awed  by  this 
fleeting  illuminating  glimpse  into  her  soul. 

She  leaned  back  into  her  chair  with  a  smile. 
"  Those  were  the  things  I  was  thinking  about. 
And  you,  too,  were  thinking  of  them,"  she  added. 
"  Now,  don't  deny  itl "  she  warned, "  for  I  saw  it 
in  your  eyes !  " 

"  No !  "  he  said  with  a  quick  smile ;  "  I  don't 
deny  it.  But  I  was  thinking  of  the  people  also." 

"  Oh,  the  people !  "  she  said  with  a  frown. 

"  Perhaps  I  should  have  said  '  person,' "  he 
modified  with  a  quick  glance  at  her,  under  which 
her  eyes  drooped  in  swift  confusion — as  they  had 
drooped  on  another  occasion  which  he  remem 
bered. 

"  Oh !  "  she  said  merely. 

"I  have  been  comparing  this  person  to  God's 
other  works,"  he  said,  a  light  in  his  eyes  which 
told  that  the  former  decision  to  postpone  an  at 
tempt  to  uncover  the  mystery  had  been  ruthlessly 
put  aside,  "  and  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  in  spite  of  the  infinite  care  he  took  in 
forming  the  beautiful  world  out  yonder  he  did 
not  neglect  this  person  to  whom  I  refer." 

Her  eyes  met  his  in  a  glance  of  swift  compre 
hension.  She  drew  a  slow,  deep  breath  and 
averted  her  face,  which  was  now  crimson. 

"  As  you  have  been  able  to  illustrate  man's 


334    THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

insignificance  in  comparison  to  God's  mighty 
creations,  so  has  my  own  inferiority  been  forced 
upon  me  by  my  attempting  to  compare  myself 
to  the  sweet  character  of  the  person  of  whom 
I  speak,"  said  Hollis,  his  voice  low  and  earnest. 
"  It  has  been  a  question  whether — when  I  speak 
to  her  of  a  thing  which  has  been  on  my  mind  for 
many  days — she  could  not  with  justice  para 
phrase  the  question  asked  by  the  still,  small  voice 
and  say:  What  have  you  done  to  deserve  this? 
And  I  should  have  to  reply — nothing."  He  had 
moved  closer  to  her,  leaning  forward  to  look  into 
her  eyes. 

She  sat  very  still,  her  gaze  on  the  basin.  "  Per 
haps  this  very  estimable  person  holds  other 
views?  "  she  returned,  with  a  flash  of  mischief  in 
her  eyes.  She  turned  suddenly  and  looked 
straight  at  him,  meeting  his  gaze  unwaveringly, 
a  demure  smile  on  her  face.  "I  told  you  that 
sometimes  a  person's  thoughts  were  expressed 
in  their  eyes,"  she  said — and  now  her  lashes 
flickered — "  perhaps  you  can  tell  what  my 
thoughts  are?  " 

It  was  a  challenge,  a  defiance,  and  an  uncondi 
tional  surrender.  Like  a  flash  one  of  Hollis's 
arms  went  out — she  was  drawn,  vainly  protest 
ing,  toward  him. 

"You  haven't  answered,"  she  laughed,  in  a 


SEAR   AND    YELLOW   DAYS      335 

smothered   voice;   "you   are   not   certain " 

She  did  not  finish  the  sentence.  Mrs.  Norton, 
coming  to  the  door  for  a  breath  of  fresh  air, 
halted  on  the  threshold,  looked,  smiled,  and  then 
quietly — very  quietly — slipped  back  into  the 
house. 

Away  out  over  the  basin  a  Mexican  eagle  cir 
cled,  winging  his  slow  way  through  the  golden 
sunshine  of  the  afternoon.  Miles  away  the 
mountain  peaks  rose  somberly,  a  mysterious, 
golden  halo  rising  slowly  above  them.  Perhaps 
there  would  always  be  mystery  in  the  mountains, 
but  a  certain  mystery  that  had  troubled  Hollis 
mightily  had  been  successfully  solved.  The  gods 
had  favored  him. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

THE  SEAR  AND  YELLOW  DAYS 

THIS  here  town,'  — read  a  letter  that  Hollis 
received  from  Weary  late  in  September — 
"  aint  fit  for  no  man  to  live  in  which 
thinks  anythink  of  hisself,  in  the  first  place  theres 
two  many  folks  here  which  dont  seem  to  know 
what  to  do  with  themselves  they  just  keep  millin 
around  an  actin  like  they  was  ready  to  stampead 
any  time.  In  the  2nd  place  im  runnin  shy  of 
dust  an  id  admire  for  to  receave  about  a  months 
pay  which  i  wont  charge  two  you  bein  as  ive  al 
ready  spent  more  then  i  ought  two  its  a  good 
thing  i  got  a  return  ticket  or  id  be  in  a  hell  of  a 
fix  when  i  got  ready  to  come  back  last  nite  the 
doctor  at  the  hospittle  said  bed  operate  on  ed 
today  which  hes  already  done  this  mornin  an  eds 
restin  easy  though  the  doc  dont  know  whether 
hes  goin  to  git  well  or  not  but  hes  hopin  an  ile 
let  you  know  by  telegraph  if  he  gits  any  worse 
which  is  all  for  this  time. 

"P.  S.  say  boss  dont  forgit  to  hustel  that  coin 

336 


ile  shure  make  it  right  with  you  i  forgot  to  tell 
you  that  i  got  cleaned  out  by  a  card  sharper  here 
i  would  have  tore  him  apart  but  about  a  million 
sheriffs  piled  onto  me  an  i  dident  have  no  chancst 
what  in  hell  does  any  town  need  with  so  many 
sheriffs. 

"  Weary. 

"  P.  S.  id  like  to  be  home  for  the  round-ap  but 
i  reckon  i  wont  make  it. 

"  Weary." 

Nellie  Hazelton  did  not  see  this  letter,  though 
Hollis  told  her  that  Ed  had  been  operated  on  and 
that  he  was  doing  as  well  as  could  be  expected. 
And  the  telegraph  that  night  flashed  Weary's 
"  coin  "  to  him. 

The  days  passed  all  too  quickly  now,  for  the 
time  for  the  fall  round-up  was  at  hand  and  Hollis 
realized  with  regret  that  his  daily  rides — with 
Nellie  Hazelton  as  a  companion — must  soon  be 
discontinued. 

The  nights  had  already  grown  cool ;  snow  had 
appeared  on  the  mountain  peaks;  the  basin  was 
no  longer  a  great  green  bowl,  but  resembled  a 
mammoth,  concave  palette  upon  which  nature 
had  mixed  her  colors — yellow  and  gold  and 
brown,  with  here  and  there  a  blotch  of  red  and 
purple,  a  dash  of  green, — lingering  over  the  sea 
son — and  great,  wide  stretches  of  gray.  The 


338     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

barren  spots  seemed  to  grow  more  barren — 
mocked  by  the  scarlet  blossoms  of  the  cactus  that 
seemed  to  be  everlasting,  and  the  fringing,  yel 
low  soap  weed,  hardy,  defying  the  advancing 
winter.  Razor-Back  ridge  was  a  desolate  place. 
Never  attractive,  it  reared  aloft  barren  and  som 
ber,  frowning  down  upon  its  fringe  of  shrubbery 
the  latter  stripped  of  its  leaves,  its  scant  beauty 
gone  and  bending  its  bare  branches  stubbornly 
to  the  early  winds. 

With  the  last  day  of  the  month  came  a  rain — 
a  cold,  bitter,  driving  storm  that  raged  for  three 
days  and  started  a  drift  that  the  cattlemen  could 
not  stop.  Arrayed  in  tarpaulins  the  cowboys 
went  forth,  suffering,  cursing,  laboring  heroically 
to  stem  the  tide.  The  cattle  retreated  steadily 
before  the  storm — no  human  agency  could  halt 
them.  On  the  second  day  Norton  came  into  the 
Circle  Bar  ranchhouse,  wet,  disgusted,  but  fight 
ing  mad. 

"  If  this  damn  rain  don't  stop  pretty  soon," 
he  told  Hollis  as  he  dried  himself  before  the  open 
fireplace,  "  we'll  have  cattle  down  here  from  over 
the  Colorado  line.  An'  then  there'll  be  hell  to 
pay! " 

But  on  the  third  day  the  rain  ceased  and  the 
sun  came  out.  The  country  lay  smiling  in  the 
sunshine,  mellow,  glistening,  inviting.  But  the 


SEAR   AND    YELLOW   DAYS      339 

damage  had  been  wrought.  From  Lemuel 
Train  of  the  Pig  Pen  outfit,  came  word  that  fifty 
per  cent  of  his  cattle  were  missing.  Truxton  of 
the  Diamond  Dot,  Henningson  of  the  Three  Bar, 
and  nearly  all  of  the  other  small  owners,  reported 
losses.  Of  course  the  cattle  would  be  recovered 
during  the  fall  round  up,  but  they  were  now 
scattered  and  fair  prey  for  cattle  thieves,  and 
with  the  round  up  still  two  weeks  away  it  seemed 
that  many  must  be  stolen. 

Yet  there  was  nothing  that  could  be  done;  it 
is  folly  to  attempt  to  "  cut  out "  cattle  on  the 
open  range. 

From  the  editorial  columns  of  the  Kicker 
might  be  gleaned  the  fact  that  the  Law  had  come 
into  Union  County.  Many  men  of  Dry  Bottom 
entered  the  Kicker  office  to  thank  Hollis ;  others 
boldly  draped  their  houses  with  flags  and  bunt 
ing. 

Dunlavey  had  visited  Dry  Bottom  twice  since 
the  incident  of  the  primary.  He  had  said  noth 
ing  concerning  the  incident  to  anyone  save  pos 
sibly  his  intimates,  but  from  the  sneer  that  ap 
peared  on  his  face  when  approached  by  those 
whom  he  considered  friendly  to  Hollis  it  was 
plain  that  he  intended  continuing  the  fight. 

Hollis  had  been  compelled  to  record  in  the 
Kicker  the  unpleasant  news  that  Dunlavey  had 


340    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

refused  to  comply  with  the  new  law  regulating 
brands  and  the  submitting  of  lists  for  taxation, 
and  also  that  he  had  threatened  to  shoot  the  first 
officer  trespassed  on  his  land.  Dunlavey  had 
not  complied  with  the  law,  but  he  had  failed  to 
carry  out  his  threat  to  "  shoot  the  first  officer  that 
trespassed  on  his  land,"  for  Allen  had  trespassed 
several  times,  openly  and  boldly.  Moreover, 
Dunlavey  had  seen  him,  had  even  spoken  to  him, 
but  had  offered  no  violence. 

Perhaps  in  a  calmer  mood  Dunlavey  had  de 
cided  not  to  use  his  weapon;  perhaps  there  was 
something  about  the  quiet,  cool,  and  deliberate 
Allen  which  convinced  Dunlavey  that  the  former 
might  be  able  to  give  a  good  account  of  himself 
in  the  event  of  trouble.  At  any  rate  several 
times  Allen  had  ridden  the  Circle  Cross  range 
unmolested  by  either  Dunlavey  or  his  men.  He 
explored  the  farthest  limits  of  the  Circle  Cross 
property,  tallying  the  cattle,  nosing  around  the 
corrals,  examining  brands,  and  doing  sundry 
other  things  not  calculated  to  allay  Dunlavey's 
anger  over  this  new  and  odd  condition  of  affairs. 

Then  one  day  he  failed  to  visit  the  Circle  Cross. 
Instead,  he  appeared  to  Potter  in  the  office  of  the 
Kicker  with  copy  for  a  poster  announcing  the 
sale  by  auction  of  a  thousand  of  Dunlavey's  best 
cattle.  He  ordered  Potter  to  print  it  so  that  he 


IN  DEFIANCE   OF   THE  LAW    341 

might  post  copies  throughout  the  county  within  a 
week.  The  night  following  the  issue  of  the 
Kicker  containing  the  announcement  concern 
ing  the  coming  of  the  law  Potter  had  informed 
Hollis  that  he  had  that  day  delivered  the  notices 
to  Allen. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

IN  DEFIANCE  OF  THE  LAW 

HOLLIS  had  demonstrated  the  fact  that  a 
majority  of  Dry  Bottom's  citizens  wel 
comed  the  law.  Dry  Bottom  had  had  a 
law,  to  be  sure — the  law  of  the  six-shooter,  with 
the  cleverest  man  "  on  the  trigger  "  as  its  chief 
advocate.  Few  men  cared  to  appear  before  such 
a  court  with  an  argument  against  its  jurisdiction. 
The  law,  as  the  citizens  of  Dry  Bottom  had  seen 
it,  was  an  institution  which  frowned  upon  such 
argument.  Few  men  cared  to  risk  an  adverse 
decision  of  the  established  court  to  advocate  laws 
which  would  come  from  civilized  authority ;  they 
had  remained  silent  against  the  day  when  it 
would  come  in  spite  of  the  element  that  had 
scoffed  at  it.  And  now  that  day  had  arrived. 
The  Law  had  come. 

Even  the  evil  element  knew  it.  The  atmos 
phere  was  vibrant  with  suppressed  excitement; 
in  the  stores  men  and  women  were  congregated; 
in  the  saloons  rose  a  buzz  of  continuous  conver- 

S42 


IN  DEFIANCE   OF  THE  LAW    343 

sation.  On  the  street  men  greeted  one  another 
with  subdued  voices,  or  halted  one  another  to  dis 
cuss  the  phenomenon.  In  a  dozen  conspicuous 
places  were  posted  flaring,  printed  notices,  in 
forming  the  reader  that  a  thousand  of  the  Circle 
Cross  cattle — a  description  of  which  followed — 
were,  on  the  following  day,  to  be  sold  to  the  high 
est  bidder.  Below  this  announcement,  in  small, 
neat  print,  was  quoted  the  Law. 

Dry  Bottom  gasped.  The  saloons  swarmed. 
In  the  Fashion  two  bartenders  and  the  proprietor 
labored  heroically  to  supply  their  customers  with 
the  liquid  stimulant  which  would  nerve  them  to 
look  upon  Ben  Allen's  posters  with  a  certain  de 
gree  of  equanimity.  The  reckless  element — the 
gun-men  who  in  a  former  day  were  wont  to  swag 
ger  forth  with  reckless  disregard  for  the  polite 
conventions — skulked  in  the  background,  sneer 
ing  at  this  thing  which  had  come  to  rob  them  of 
their  power  and  which,  they  felt,  presaged  their 
ultimate  downfall. 

But  Dry  Bottom  ignored  the  gun-men,  or 
smiled  blandly  at  them,  giving  its  attention  to 
Ben  Allen's  posters  and  discussing  a  rumor 
which  had  gained  rapid  credence,  to  the  effect 
that  the  new  governor  had  telegraphed  Allen 
that  he  would  hold  a  detail  of  United  States 
soldiers  in  readiness  for  any  contingency. 


344    THE  COMING  OF  THE  LAW 

The  good  citizens  smiled.  And  throughout 
the  day  many  of  them  passed  and  repassed  the 
Kicker  office,  anxious  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  man 
who  had  been  instrumental  in  bringing  about  this 
innovation. 

Shortly  after  noon  on  the  same  day  Dunlavey 
rode  into  Dry  Bottom,  dismounted,  hitched  his 
pony  to  the  rail  in  front  of  the  Fashion,  and  en 
tered. 

In  former  days  Dunlavey's  appearance  within 
the  doors  of  the  Fashion  was  the  signal  for  bois 
terous  greetings.  For  here  might  always  be 
found  the  law's  chief  advocates.  To-day,  how 
ever,  there  were  no  greetings.  Minds  were  filled 
with  vague  and  picturesque  conjecture  concern 
ing  Dunlavey's  probable  actions  and  the  out 
come  of  this  strange  affair.  Thus  upon  Dunla 
vey's  entrance  a  silence — strange  and  awkward 
— fell  in  the  bar-room.  There  were  short  nods 
and  men  fell  away  from  Dunlavey  as  he  crossed 
the  room  and  came  to  a  halt  before  one  of  Ben 
Allen's  posters.  He  read  every  line  of  it — every 
word.  No  man  interrupted  him.  Then,  finish 
ing  his  reading,  he  turned  and  faced  the  crowd, 
his  face  white  with  wrath,  his  lips  snarling. 

"  Why  in  hell  didn't  some  of  you  damned  fools 
tear  this  down?  "  he  demanded. 

No  man  felt  it  incumbent  upon  him  to  reply  to 


IN  DEFIANCE   OF   THE   LAW    345 

this  and  Dunlavey  watched  them  for  an  instant, 
sneering,  his  eyes  glittering  menacingly.  Then 
he  suddenly  turned,  seized  the  poster,  savagely 
tore  it  into  pieces,  hurled  the  pieces  to  the  floor, 
and  stamped  upon  them.  Then  he  turned  again 
to  the  silent  crowd,  his  face  inflamed,  his  voice 
snapping  with  a  bitter,  venomous  sarcasm. 

"  Scared!  "  he  said.  "  Scared  out  clean — like 
a  bunch  of  coyotes  runnin'  from  the  daylight ! " 
He  made  a  strange  sound  with  his  lips,  express 
ing  his  unutterable  contempt  for  men  so  weakly 
constituted. 

"  Quit !  "  he  grated.  "  Quit  clean  because  a  ten 
derfoot  comes  out  here  and  tries  to  run  things  1 
So  long  as  things  come  your  way  you're  willing 
to  stick  it  out,  but  when  things  go  the  other  way 
—Ugh!" 

He  turned  abruptly,  strode  out  through  the 
door,  mounted  his  pony,  and  rode  rapidly  down 
the  street.  Several  of  the  men,  who  went  to  the 
door  after  his  departure,  saw  him  riding  furi 
ously  toward  the  Circle  Cross. 

Then  one  of  his  former  friends  laughed  harshly 
— sarcastically.  "  I  reckon  that  there  tender 
foot  is  botherin'  Big  Bill  a  whole  lot,"  he  said  as 
he  turned  to  the  bar. 

It  had  been  a  busy  day  for  Hollis.     His  hand 


346    THE   COMING   OF   THE  L'AW 

had  been  shaken  so  much  that  it  pained  him. 
The  day  had  been  a  rather  warm  one  for  the  sea 
son  and  so  when  late  in  the  afternoon  Norton 
rode  into  town,  "  To  see  the  excitement,"  he  told 
Hollis,  the  latter  determined  to  make  the  return 
trip  to  the  Circle  Bar  in  the  evening.  There 
fore,  after  a  short  conference  with  Judge  Graney 
and  Allen — and  a  frugal,  though  wholesome  sup 
per  in  the  Judge's  rooms  back  of  the  court  house 
— which  Allen  cooked — he  and  Norton  rode  out 
upon  the  Coyote  trail  and  jogged  quitely  toward 
the  Circle  Bar. 

There  was  a  good  moon ;  the  air  was  invigorat 
ing,  though  slightly  chill,  and  the  trail  lay  clear 
and  distinct  before  them,  hard  after  the  rain, 
ideal  for  riding. 

Many  times  during  the  first  half  hour  of  the 
ride  Norton  looked  furtively  at  his  chief.  Cer 
tain  things  that  Mrs.  Norton  had  told  him  held 
a  prominent  place  in  his  thoughts,  and  mingling 
with  these  thoughts  was  the  recollection  of  a  con 
versation  that  he  had  held  with  Hollis  one  day 
when  both  of  them  had  been  riding  this  same  trail 
and  Hollis  had  stopped  off  at  the  Hazelton  cabin. 
Many  times  Norton  smiled.  He  would  have 
liked  to  refer  to  that  conversation,  but  hesitated 
for  fear  of  seeming  to  meddle  with  that  which 
did  not  concern  him.  He  remembered  the  days 


IN  DEFIANCE   OF   THE   LAW    347 

of  his  own  courtship — how  jealously  he  had 
guarded  his  secret. 

But  the  longer  his  thoughts  dwelt  upon  the  in 
cident  that  had  been  related  to  him  by  Mrs.  Nor 
ton  the  harder  it  became  to  keep  silent.  But  he 
managed  to  repress  his  feelings  for  the  first  half 
hour  and  then,  moved  by  an  internal  mirth  that 
simply  would  not  be  held  in  check  longer,  he 
cackled  aloud. 

He  saw  Hollis  shoot  a  quick  glance  at  him. 
He  cackled  again,  his  mirth  swelling  as  he  caught 
the  surprised  and  puzzled  expression  of  Hollis's 
face. 

"  I  have  a  very  original  opinion  of  people  who 
laugh  without  any  visible  cause,"  remarked  the 
latter,  grinning  reluctantly  in  the  semi-darkness. 

Norton's  reply  was  another  cackle.  They 
rode  in  silence  for  a  long  time. 

Then  Norton  spoke.  "  This  is  a  great  coun 
try,"  he  said. 

Silence  from  Hollis,  though  taking  a  quick 
glance  at  him  Norton  again  observed  the  puzzled 
grin  on  his  face. 

"  And  original,"  he  remarked,  placing  upon 
the  latter  word  the  same  peculiar  emphasis  that 
Hollis  had  given  it  a  moment  before. 

Hollis  grinned  widely;  he  began  to  detect  a 
subtle  meaning  in  the  range  boss's  speech  and  ac- 


348     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

lions.  But  he  did  not  answer;  it  would  not 
strain  his  patience  to  await  until  such  a  time 
as  Norton  made  his  meaning  clear. 

"  But  there's  some  things  that  ain't  original," 
continued  Norton  in  the  same  tone,  after  another 
short  silence. 

This  remark  clearly  required  comment.  Hol- 
lis  grinned  mildly.  "  Meaning  what? "  he  ques 
tioned. 

Norton  met  his  gaze  gravely.  "  Meanin'  that 
the  ways  of  makin'  love  are  pretty  much  the  same 
in  every  country."  He  laughed.  "  I  know 
there's  different  ways  of  makin'  it — in  books,"  he 
continued ;  "  the  folks  which  write  books  make 
their  men  an'  women  go  at  it  all  kinds  of  ways. 
But  did  you  ever  know  anyone  in  real  life  to 
make  love  to  a  girl  any  different  than  anyone 
else?" 

"I  have  had  no  experience  in  love  making,"  re 
turned  Hollis,  puzzled  again. 

Norton  cackled.  "  No,"  he  said,  "  an'  that's 
the  peculiar  part  of  it.  Mostly  no  one  has  ever 
had  any  experience  when  they  start  to  makin' 
love  the  first  time.  But  they  all  make  it  the  same 
way.  That's  why  it  ain't  original.  You  take  a 
man  which  has  got  in  love  with  a  girl — any 
man.  He  don't  want  anyone  to  know  that  he's 
in  love  with  her — he  feels  sorta  sheepish  about  it. 


IN  DEFIANCE   OF   THE   LAW    349 

Goes  around  hangin'  his  head  an'  blushin',  an* 
mostly  not  sayin'  anything  about  it.  Once  he 
gets  it  into  his  system  he  ain't  the  same  man  any 
more.  Takes  to  actin'  reserved  like  an'  gentle. 
But  them  that's  had  experience  can  see  the  symp 
toms.  There  ain't  no  way  to  hide  it." 

Had  Norton  looked  at  Hollis  now  he  might 
have  observed  a  touch  of  red  in  the  young  man's 
face.  But  he  did  not  look ;  he  was  watching  the 
trail  ahead,  smiling  broadly. 

They  had  been  riding  through  a  deep  depres 
sion,  going  toward  a  ridge  whose  crest  was 
fringed  with  dense,  tangled  shrubbery.  Hollis 
was  about  to  reply  to  Norton's  remark  when  he 
saw  the  latter's  lips  suddenly  straighten ;  saw  his 
body  stiffen  as  he  drew  himself  erect  in  the  sad 
dle  and  pulled  his  pony  abruptly  up.  Surprised, 
Hollis  also  reined  in  and  sat  silent,  looking  at 
Norton. 

The  latter's  hand  went  to  one  of  his  ears,  the 
fingers  spreading  out,  fan  like.  "  Listen !  "  he 
warned  sharply. 

Hollis  had  been  listening.  A  low  rumble 
greeted  his  ears.  He  looked  suddenly  upward 
at  the  sky,  fearful  that  another  storm,  such  as  he 
had  encountered  months  before,  might  be  form 
ing.  But  the  sky  was  cloudless.  He  looked 
again  at  Norton.  The  latter's  eyes  shone  brightly 


350     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

in  the  moonlight,  as  he  leaned  toward  Hollis. 
The  rumbling  had  grown  more  distinct. 

"  It  ain't  a  stampede,"  said  Norton  rapidly; 
"  there  wouldn't  be  anything  to  stampede  cattle 
on  a  night  like  this.  An'  them's  cattle !  " 

It  was  about  a  hundred  yards  to  the  ridge  to 
ward  which  they  had  been  riding  and  Hollis  saw 
Norton  suddenly  plunge  the  spurs  into  his  pony's 
flanks ;  saw  the  animal  rush  forward.  He  gave 
his  own  animal  the  spurs  and  in  an  instant  was  at 
Norton's  side,  racing  toward  the  ridge.  The 
range  boss  dismounted  at  the  bottom,  swiftly 
threw  the  reins  over  his  pony's  head,  and  run 
ning  stealthily  toward  the  crest.  Hollis  fol 
lowed  him.  When  he  reached  Norton's  side 
the  latter  was  flat  on  a  rim  rock  at  the  edge 
of  a  little  cliff,  behind  some  gnarled  brush. 
Below  them  the  country  stretched  away  for  miles, 
level,  unbroken,  basking  in  the  moonlight.  Hol 
lis  recognized  the  section  as  that  through  which 
he  had  traveled  on  the  night  he  had  been  over 
taken  by  the  storm — the  big  level  that  led  to  Big 
Elk  crossing,  where  he  had  met  Dunlavey  and  his 
men  that  night. 

Looking  out  upon  the  plain  he  held  his  breath 
in  amazement.  During  the  time  he  had  been  at 
the  Circle  Bar  he  had  seen  cattle  running,  but 
never  had  he  seen  them  run  like  this.  About  a 


IN  DEFIANCE   OF   THE   LAJV    351 

quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  ridge  on  which  he  and 
Norton  stood  rose  a  dust  cloud — moving  swiftly. 
But  ahead  of  the  cloud,  heads  down,  their  horns 
tossing  were  a  number  of  cattle,  perhaps  fifty, 
racing  furiously.  They  were  running  parallel 
with  the  ridge  and  would  probably  pass  it.  Be 
hind  and  flanking  them  raced  several  cowboys, 
silent,  driving  with  their  quirts. 

"  Rustlers ! "  came  Norton's  voice  from  beside 
him.  "  They're  headin'  for  Big  Elk!  " 

Hollis  had  brought  his  rifle,  which  he  had  car 
ried  since  the  attack  on  the  night  of  the  storm. 
At  Norton's  word  he  raised  it.  But  Norton's 
hand  touched  his  and  his  voice  came  again, 
sharply,  commandingly. 

"  Don't  shoot !  "  he  said.  "  It  wouldn't  do  any 
good;  some  of  them  would  get  away.  Mebbe 
they'll  come  close  enough  so's  we  can  see  who 
they  are ! " 

Hollis  waited  breathlessly.  It  seemed  that 
but  an  instant  had  passed  from  the  time  he  had 
caught  a  first  glimpse  of  them  until  they  were 
thundering  by  the  ridge  and  he  and  Norton  were 
blinded  by  the  dust.  They  had  gone  before  the 
dust  settled,  but  through  it  as  they  passed,  Hollis 
had  caught  sight  of  a  familiar  figure.  Before 
the  thunder  of  hoofs  had  died  away  Hollis  felt 
Norton's  hand  on  his  arm  and  his  voice  in  his  ear. 


352     THE   COMING  OF   THE  LAW 

"Dunlavey!" 

There  could  be  no  doubt  of  that,  for  Hollis  had 
recognized  him  also.  He  turned,  to  hear  Nor 
ton's  dry  voice  in  his  ear. 

"  The  new  law  don't  seem  to  be  botherin'  Dun 
lavey  a  heap,"  he  said. 

Hollis  stepped  boldly  out  on  the  ridge,  his  face 
grim  and  pale.  But  he  was  pulled  back  by  Nor 
ton.  "  I  take  it  you  don't  want  to  let  them  see 
you,"  he  said.  '  When  a  thing  like  that  comes 
off  there's  always  somebody  sure  to  be  lookin' 
back."  He  was  pulling  at  Hollis's  arm,  direct 
ing  his  steps  down  the  slope  toward  where  they 
had  left  the  horses.  '  You  an'  me  ain't  enough," 
he  was  saying  to  Hollis;  "  we'll  hit  the  breeze  to 
the  Circle  Bar,  get  some  of  the  boys,  an'  hustle 
back  here  an'  take  them  cattle !  " 

Hollis  accompanied  him  willingly  as  far  as  the 
horses.  Then  he  halted,  his  eyes  flashing 
brightly.  "  We  won't  go  to  the  Circle  Bar,"  he 
said.  "  We  won't  fight  them  like  that.  There 
is  a  law  in  this  country  now  and  I  am  going  to 
see  that  the  law  acts!  "  He  seized  Norton's  arm 
in  a  firm  commanding  grip.  *  You  follow 
them,"  he  directed.  "From  the  edge  of  the 
butte  where  they  caught  me  on  the  night  of  the 
storm  you  can  see  the  country  for  miles.  Don't 
cross  the  river,"  he  warned.  "  Stay  there  beside 


IN  DEFIANCE   OF   THE  LAW    353 

the  butte  until  I  come  back — I  won't  be  long. 
Watch  where  they  take  the  cattle ! " 

Before  Norton  could  offer  a  word  of  objection 
he  was  on  his  pony  and  racing  over  the  back  trail 
at  terrific  speed.  For  a  moment  Norton  watched 
him.  Then  he  disappeared  and  Norton  grimly 
mounted  his  pony  and  rode  down  to  the  level, 
following  the  trail  taken  by  the  thieves. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

THE  ARM  OF  THE  LAW 

THE  lights  in  Dry  Bottom's  saloons  were 
flickering  brightly  when  Hollis  rode  down 
the  street  and  dismounted  from  his  droop 
ing  pony  in  front  of  the  court  house.  He  ran 
stiffly  around  the  side  of  the  building  and 
knocked  loudly  on  a  door.  There  was  a  short 
silence  and  then  a  movement  inside  and  Ben  Al 
len  stuck  his  head  out  of  a  window.  He  saw  at 
a  glance  the  upward  turned  face  of  the  nocturnal 
visitor  and  called  shortly :  "  Wait !  I'll  be  down !  " 

There  was  a  short  wait,  during  which  Hollis 
impatiently  paced  back  and  forth  and  then  Allen 
appeared  in  the  door,  fully  dressed.  Judge 
Graney,  in  a  night  shirt,  stood  behind  him. 

"  Something's  up,  of  course,"  drawled  Allen 
as  he  stepped  down  from  the  door,  "  or  you 
wouldn't  come  around  disturbing  folks  this  way. 
What  is  it?" 

Hollis  briefly  related  the  events  of  the  night, 

354 


THE   ARM   OF   THE   LAW      355 

concluding  with  the  statement  that  he  was  deter 
mined  to  force  the  law  to  act. 

"Correct!"  laughed  Allen.  "  She's  got  to 
act  now."  He  caught  Hollis's  arm  and  turned 
him  toward  a  small  cottonwood  grove  about  half 
a  mile  distant.  A  dozen  white  objects  dotting 
the  grove  caught  Hollis's  gaze.  He  started. 

"  Soldiers ! "  he  exclaimed. 

"I  might  say  that  was  a  good  guess,"  drawled 
Allen.  "I  sent  for  them  because  I  thought  I 
might  need  them  if  our  friend  Dunlavey  got  to 
cuttin'  up  any.  It's  been  my  experience  that  a 
detail  of  Uncle  Sam's  boys  is  about  as  good  a 
thing  to  have  around  in  case  of  trouble  as  any 
man  could  want." 

"  But  you  can't  use  them  in  this  case,"  re 
marked  Judge  Graney,  who  had  stepped  down 
beside  the  two  men.  "  The  governor's  instruc 
tions  were  that  they  should  be  used  merely  as  an 
instrument  in  enforcing  the  court's  order  regard 
ing  the  sale  of  Dunlavey's  cattle.  The  theft  of 
the  Circle  Bar  cattle  is  a  matter  which  comes 
directly  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  sheriff.  If 
he  refuses  to  act " 

"Hell!"  broke  in  Allen.  "We  know  he 
won't  do  anything! " 

The  Judge  smiled  slightly.  "  I  suspect  he 
won't,"  he  said  dryly.  He  winked  at  Hollis. 


356    THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

"  Being  a  judge  in  this  district  I  am,  of  course, 
averse  to  advising  any  infractions  of  the  law. 
But  if  I  were  not  a  judge  I  would  suggest  that 
two  strong,  energetic  men — such  as  you  appear 

to  be "  He  leaned  forward  and  whispered 

in  Allen's  ear,  whereat  that  gentleman  let  out  a 
joyous  whoop  and  almost  dragged  Hollis  around 
the  corner  of  the  building  toward  the  street,  leav 
ing  the  Judge  standing  in  the  doorway. 

Once  on  the  street  Allen  set  a  pace  that 
brought  the  two  to  the  door  of  the  sheriff's  of 
fice  quickly.  A  light  shone  through  the  window 
and  when  Allen  opened  the  door  Watkins  was 
sitting  beside  his  desk,  gravely  fumbling  a  deck 
of  cards.  He  dropped  them  when  he  saw  his 
visitors  and  made  a  quick  movement  with  his 
right  hand  toward  his  revolver.  But  Allen's 
weapon  was  already  out. 

"  Bill,"  he  said  in  a  soft,  even  voice,  "  we're 
wantin'  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of  Bill  Dunla- 
vey.  The  charge  is  stealin'  cattle.  Of  course 
you'll  issue  it,"  he  added  insinuatingly. 

Watkins's  face  slowly  paled.  "  Why "  he 

began. 

"  Of  course  I  knowed  you  wouldn't  do  it  when 
I  asked  you,"  said  Allen  with  a  dangerously  soft 
smile.  "  That's  why  I  come  down  here.  This 
town's  got  a  sheriff  an'  it  ain't.  I  wouldn't  care 


THE  ARM   OF   THE  LAW,      357 

a  damn  if  it  didn't  have  you.  There's  lots  of 
folks  wouldn't  care  either.  So  that  if  you're  one 
of  them  which  does  care  you're  settin'  right  still 
an'  not  sayin'  anything  which  can  be  construed  as 
talk  till  my  friend  here  goes  down  to  the  station." 
He  whispered  to  Hollis.  "  Be  middlin'  rapid," 
he  said  aloud  afterward,  "  an'  use  my  name." 
He  turned  to  Watkins  with  a  smile.  "  While 
we're  waitin'  I'll  do  some  talkin',"  he  said.  "  But 
if  you  let  out  one  little  wee  chirp  them  folks 
which  don't  care  about  you  bein'  sheriff  of  this 
man's  town  will  sure  have  a  heap  of  cause  to 
rejoice." 

Hollis  was  already  far  down  the  street  toward 
the  station.  When  he  got  there  the  station  was 
dark — evidently  the  agent  had  gone  to  bed. 
Hollis  pounded  heavily  on  the  door  and  presently 
the  agent  opened  it,  appearing  in  his  night  shirt, 
a  heavy  six-shooter  in  hand,  his  eyes  blinking. 

"  My  name  is  Hollis,"  said  the  latter  from  the 
darkness ;  "  I  want  you  to  telegraph  the  gover 
nor." 

"  Come  in."  The  agent  disappeared  within, 
Hollis  following.  "  This  way,"  he  directed,  as 
he  disappeared  through  another  door  leading  into 
the  station,  his  night  shirt  flapping  about  his  lean 
legs.  "What  you  wantin'  to  telegraph?"  he 
questioned,  as  he  seated  himself  before  the  instru- 


358     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

ment  and  looked  up  at  Hollis.  And  then,  before 
the  latter  could  answer  he  continued:  "You're 
the  durndest  man  to  stir  up  a  muss  I  ever  seen 
in  my  life !  " 

Hollis  smiled  grimly  as  he  seized  a  blank  and 
wrote  his  message  to  the  governor : 

"  Cattle  thieves  caught  red-handed.  Sheriff  re 
fuses  to  act.  Crisis.  Suggest  you  appoint  me 
temporarily. 

"  BEN  ALLEN." 

The  agent  took  the  message,  read  it,  and  then 
monotonously  began  to  drum  on  the  keys  of  his 
instrument. 

Hollis  found  it  impossible  to  sit  still  and  so  he 
nervously  paced  up  and  down  the  room  during 
the  sending  of  the  message.  The  agent  finished 
and  leaned  his  head  sleepily  on  the  table. 

"  Ought  to  answer  in  half  an  hour — if  he's 
home,"  he  informed  Hollis.  Upon  which  Hollis 
slipped  out  of  the  door  and  returned  down  the 
street  to  the  sheriff's  office,  peering  within. 
Watkins  still  sat  at  the  table  and  in  a  chair  near 
him  lounged  Allen,  talking  volubly.  Hollis 
watched  for  a  time  and  then  returned  to  the  sta 
tion  to  find  the  agent  asleep  beside  his  instru 
ment.  Hollis  had  scarcely  awakened  him  when 
the  sounder  began  its  monotonous  ticking. 


THE   ARM    OF    THE   LAW      359 

He  leaned  over  the  agent's  shoulder  and  read  the 
governor's  answer  as  the  agent  sleepily  wrote  it 
down. 

"  Ben  Allen :  You  are  hereby  appointed  sheriff  of 
Union  County  in  place  of  W.  Watkins,  dismissed. 
Have  Judge  certify/' 

"  I  reckon  there  must  be  somethin'  goin'  on," 
remarked  the  agent.  "  What's  the  matter  with 
Bill- 
But  Hollis  had  snatched  the  message  from  his 
hand  and  was  out  into  the  street  in  an  instant 
and  running  down  toward  the  sheriff's  office. 
When  he  arrived  there  Allen  was  still  talking. 
He  passed  the  telegram  to  him  and  the  latter  rose 
to  his  feet  and  smiled  at  Watkins,  shoving  the 
message  under  his  nose. 

"  You  can  read  her,"  he  said.  "  Then  you  can 
go  home  an'  quit  sheriffin' — after  I've  got 
through  with  you.  You've  been  called  down  to 
the  court  house.  I'm  takin'  you,  chargin'  you 
with  bein'  an  accessory  before  the  fact,  or  some- 
thin'  like  that.  It  don't  make  no  difference  what 
it  is,  you're  goin'  with  me."  His  voice  came 
sharp  and  chill :  "  Jump !  " 

Judge  Graney  had  dressed  himself  by  the  time 
the  three  arrived  at  the  court  house  and  Watkins 
was  roughly  tumbled  into  the  room  which  had 


360    THE   COMING  OF   THE   LAW 

been  set  aside  as  the  jail.  Then  the  judge  led 
Hollis  and  Allen  into  the  court  room  where  he 
issued  Allen's  certificate  of  appointment. 

"  Now,  I  reckon  we  won't  have  no  trouble  in 
gettin'  the  soldiers,"  he  grinned.  "  This  sheriff 
is  goin'  to  act!" 


FORMING    A    FRIENDSHIP 

AT  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Hollis 
closed  his  desk  and  announced  to  Potter 
that  he  was  going  to  the  Circle  Bar.  Pot 
ter  watched  him  with  a  fond  smile  as  he  went 
out  the  door  and  placed  the  saddle  on  his  pony, 
mounted  and  rode  into  the  sunshine  of  the  after 
noon.  The  presence  of  the  troopers  in  town  had 
created  a  sensation  and  most  of  the  town's  citi 
zens  were  gathered  about  the  court  house,  curi 
ously  watching  Dunlavey  and  several  of  his  men 
who  had  been  taken  into  custody  during  the 
early  hours  of  the  morning.  Neither  Hollis  or 
Norton  had  been  allowed  to  participate  in  the 
final  scene,  the  little  captain  informing  them 
curtly  that  the  presence  of  civilians  at  what 
promised  to  be  a  free-for-all  fight  was  strictly 
forbidden.  And  so  Norton  had  returned  to  the 
Circle  Bar,  while  Hollis  had  gone  to  Dry  Bot 
tom  to  finish  an  article  for  the  next  issue  of  the 
Kicker. 

361 


362     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

It  had  been  in  that  bald,  gray  time  between 
darkness  and  dawn  when  Ben  Allen  and  Hollis, 
riding  at  the  head  of  the  detail  of  troopers  beside 
the  dapper  little  captain,  had  arrived  at  the  edge 
of  the  butte  where  Hollis  had  directed  Norton 
to  await  his  coming. 

Norton's  only  comment  upon  seeing  the  troop 
ers  had  been :  "  Where  in  hell  did  them  come 
from?  " 

He  told  Allen  that  he  had  watched  where 
Dunlavey  and  his  men  had  driven  the  cattle,  and 
that  he  would  find  them  concealed  in  a  narrow 
defile  between  two  hills  about  a  mile  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Rabbit-Ear.  He  and  Hollis  had  an 
nounced  their  intention  to  accompany  the  troop 
to  the  scene,  but  had  been  refused  permission  by 
the  captain. 

The  capture  of  the  thieves  had  been  quite  a 
simple  matter.  In  single  file  the  troopers  had 
descended  the  slope  of  the  river,  crossed  a  shal 
low,  and  clattered  up  the  other  side.  A  mile 
dash  at  a  gallop  had  brought  them  to  one  end 
of  the  defile  mentioned  by  Norton,  and  in  a  grove 
of  fir-balsam  the  captain  had  deployed  his  troop 
ers  and  swooped  suddenly  down  into  the  defile, 
surprising  several  men,  who  with  Dunlavey, 
were  busily  at  work  altering  the  brands  on  the 
cattle  they  had  stolen.  There  was  a  fire  near  the 


center  of  the  defile,  with  branding  irons  scattered 
about  it. 

The  stolen  cattle  bore  various  brands.  There 
were  perhaps  a  dozen  belonging  to  the  Circle 
Bar,  several  from  the  Pig  Pen;  others  bore  the 
brands  of  the  Three  Bar  and  the  Diamond  Dot. 

Proof  of  Dunlavey's  guilt  had  been  absolute. 
He  had  made  some  resistance,  but  had  been 
quickly  overpowered  by  Allen  and  the  troopers. 
Then  with  their  prisoners  the  troops  had  re 
turned  to  Dry  Bottom. 

Hollis  rode  slowly  toward  the  Circle  Bar.  He 
was  tired — dead  tired.  When  he  arrived  at  the 
Hazelton  cabin  the  shade  on  the  porch  looked  so 
inviting  that  he  dismounted,  tied  his  pony  to  one 
of  the  slender  porch  columns,  and  seated  him 
self,  leaning  wearily  against  the  column  to  which 
he  had  tied  his  pony. 

He  sat  there  long,  staring  at  a  clump  of  non 
descript  weed  that  fringed  the  edge  of  the  arroyo 
near  the  cabin,  his  thoughts  filled  with  pictures 
of  incidents  that  had  occurred  to  him  during  his 
stay  in  the  West.  Nellie  Hazelton  appeared  in 
every  one  of  these  pictures  and  therefore  he 
smiled  often. 

He  had  not  liked  the  country  when  he  had  first 
come  here ;  it  had  seemed  to  offer  him  no  field  for 
the  pursuit  of  his  ambition.  Certainly  the  rais- 


364,    THE   COMING  OF.  THE  LAW 

ing  of  cattle  had  never  entered  into  his  scheme 
of  things.  Yet  he  now  realized  that  there  was 
plenty  of  room  in  this  country  for  success  in  this 
particular  industry;  all  a  man  had  to  do  was  to 
keep  up  his  end  until  the  law  came.  And  now 
the  law  had  come  and  he  had  been  partly  respon 
sible  for  its  coming.  The  realization  of  this 
moved  his  lips  into  a  grim  smile. 

He  filled  and  lighted  his  pipe,  smoking 
placidly  as  he  leaned  against  the  slender  column, 
his  gaze  shifting  to  a  clump  of  dense  shrubbery 
that  skirted  the  trail  within  twenty  feet  of  the 
cabin.  He  sat  quiet,  his  long  legs  stretched  out 
to  enjoy  the  warmth  of  the  sun  that  struck  a 
corner  of  the  porch  floor.  His  pipe  spluttered 
in  depletion  and  he  raised  himself  and  looked 
around  for  his  pony,  observing  that  the  animal 
was  contentedly  browsing  the  tops  of  some  weeds 
at  the  edge  of  the  porch.  Then,  resigning  him 
self  to  the  sensation  of  languor  that  oppressed 
him,  he  knocked  the  ash  from  the  pipe,  filled  it 
again,  lighted  it,  and  resumed  his  former  reclin 
ing  position. 

During  the  past  few  days  he  had  given  much 
thought  to  Dunlavey.  He  was  thinking  of  the 
man  now,  as  his  gaze  went  again  to  the  clump  of 
shrubbery  that  skirted  the  trail. 

Some  men's  mental  processes  were  incompre- 


FORMING   A    FRIENDSHIP     365 

hensible.  Dunlavey  was  one  of  these  men. 
What  did  the  man  hope  to  gain  by  defying  the 
law?  Would  there  not  be  profit  enough  in  the 
cattle  business  when  conducted  honestly? 

He  felt  a  certain  contempt  for  the  man,  but 
mingled  with  it  was  a  sort  of  grim  pity.  No 
doubt  Dunlavey  felt  justified  in  his  actions,  for 
he  had  lived  here  a  good  many  years,  no  doubt 
suffering  the  privations  encountered  by  all 
pioneers;  living  a  hard  life,  dealing  heavy  blows 
to  his  enemies,  and  receiving  some  himself.  No 
doubt  his  philosophy  of  life  had  been  of  the 
peculiar  sort  practiced  by  the  feudal  barons  of 
the  Old  World,  before  civilization  had  come, 
carrying  its  banner  of  justice,  which,  summed  up 
epigrammatically,  though  ironically,  had  been 
"  Might  is  Right."  But  might  could  never  be 
right  in  this  country.  Dunlavey  must  learn  this 
lesson;  he  could  not  hope  to — ! 

Hollis  sat  suddenly  erect,  putting  aside  his 
pipe  and  his  ruminations  at  the  same  instant,  the 
languor  gone  from  him,  his  eyes  narrowing 
coldly. 

For  suddenly,  from  behind  the  shrubbery  that 
skirted  the  edge  of  the  trail,  had  appeared  the 
man  about  whom  he  had  been  thinking!  It  was 
evident  that  he  had  not  come  upon  Hollis  unex 
pectedly.  He  reined  in  his  pony  and  sat  motion- 


366     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

less  in  the  saddle,  his  face  white,  his  eyes  alight 
with  passion. 

For  an  instant  neither  man  spoke.  Hollis 
realized  that  the  great  moment  for  which  he  had 
waited  many  days  had  arrived.  And  it  had  ar 
rived  unexpectedly.  It  had  arrived  to  find  him 
tired  after  his  activities  of  the  night  and  in  no 
condition  for  a  fight.  He  drew  a  deep  breath 
and  got  to  his  feet,  a  grim  smile  on  his  face.  He 
stepped  off  the  porch  and  stood  by  one  of  the 
columns,  watching  Dunlavey  closely.  As  he 
watched  the  grim  smile  on  his  face  slowly  faded, 
his  lips  curled  bitterly,  his  eyes  chilled. 

"  I  suppose  you've  come  to  collect  that  thrash 
ing?  "  he  said. 

Dunlavey  dismounted  quickly,  his  right  hand 
flew  to  his  holster,  drawing  his  revolver.  He 
came  toward  Hollis  crouching,  a  cold,  merciless 
glitter  in  his  eyes. 

'  Yes,  you  tenderfoot .  "  he  snarled. 

*  *  *  * 

From  the  moment  of  Hollis's  arrival  at  the 
court  house  the  night  before  Ben  Allen  had  been 
constantly  in  action.  It  was  late  in  the  morn 
ing  when  he  had  returned  to  the  court  house  with 
his  prisoners.  The  men  who  had  been  captured 
with  Dunlavey  were  still  with  the  troopers,  there 
not  being  sufficient  room  at  the  court  house  for 


FORMING  A   FRIENDSHIP     367 

them.  Watkins  had  been  released  and  Dun- 
lavey  had  taken  his  place  in  the  little  room  that 
answered  for  a  jail.  Shortly  before  noon  Allen 
proceeded  to  the  station,  where  he  telegraphed 
to  the  governor  the  story  of  the  capture.  He 
had  then  deputized  a  dozen  punchers  and  sent 
them  to  the  Circle  Cross  to  round  up  a  thousand 
of  Dunlavey's  cattle  and  hold  them  until  the  late 
afternoon  when,  according  to  Allen's  published 
program,  they  were  to  be  sold  to  the  highest  bid 
der.  Then,  tired  and  hungry,  Allen  sought  the 
Alhambra  and  ate  a  hearty  meal. 

Dry  Bottom  was  swarming  with  visitors  that 
had  come  in  for  the  sale.  But  by  the  time  Allen 
had  finished  eating  the  exodus  had  begun.  The 
trail  leading  to  the  Circle  Cross  ranch  was  dotted 
with  probable  bidders,  curiosity  seekers,  idlers, 
and  mere  residents  of  the  town.  Now  that  the 
law  had  come  there  were  many  who  discovered 
that  their  sympathies  had  always  been  with  the 
men  who  had  championed  it.  Allen  found  his 
way  to  the  court  house  strewn  with  men  who 
halted  him  to  express  their  good  will.  Many  peo 
ple  gathered  in  front  of  the  Kicker  office,  eager 
for  a  glimpse  of  Hollis.  Those  who  gathered 
there  before  twelve-thirty  saw  him  seated  at  his 
desk,  tall,  angular,  serious  of  face,  absolutely  un 
affected  by  this  thing  which  had  caused  a  sensa- 


368    THE   COMING  OF   THE  LAW 

tion.  Passing  the  Kicker  office  on  his  way  to  the 
court  house,  Allen  had  paused  to  look  within  and 
shout  a  greeting  to  him.  Then  he  had  continued 
on  his  way. 

Arriving  at  the  court  house  Allen  looked  in  at 
Dunlavey  to  find  him  lying  on  the  floor,  appar 
ently  asleep.  Allen  did  not  disturb  him.  He 
went  out,  threw  the  saddle  on  his  pony,  and  rode 
over  to  the  grove  where  the  soldiers  were  quar 
tered,  talking  long  with  the  captain.  At  two 
o'clock  he  returned  to  the  court  house  to  be 
greeted  with  the  news  that  Dunlavey  had  es 
caped.  Allen  did  not  stop  to  inquire  how  the 
escape  had  been  accomplished.  He  remounted 
his  pony  and  raced  down  to  the  Kicker  office, 
fearing  that  Dunlavey  had  gone  there.  Potter 
informed  him  that  his  chief  had  departed  for  the 
Circle  Bar  fully  an  hour  and  a  half  before.  He 
had  taken  the  Coyote  trail — Potter  had  watched 
him. 

Allen  wheeled  his  pony  and  returned  to  the 
court  house.  He  was  met  at  the  door  by  Judge 
Graney.  The  latters*  face  was  white  and  drawn 
with  fear. 

"He's  gone  to  kill  Hollis!"  the  judge  told 
him  through  white,  set  lips.  "  I  heard  him 
threaten  Hollis  this  morning  and  a  moment  ago 
a  man  told  me  that  he  had  seen  Dunlavey,  not 


FORMING  A   FRIENDSHIP     360 

over  half  an  hour  ago,  riding  out  the  Coyote 
trail  at  a  dead  run ! " 

Allen's  own  face  whitened.  He  did  not  stop 
to  answer  but  drove  the  spurs  deep  into  his 
pony's  flanks  and  rode  furiously  down  the  street 
toward  a  point  near  the  Kicker  office  where  he 
struck  the  trail. 

The  distance  to  the  Circle  Bar  ranch  was  ten 
miles  and  Dunlavey  had  a  good  half  hour's  start  1 
He  fairly  lifted  his  pony  over  the  first  mile, 
though  realizing  that  he  could  not  hope  to  ar 
rive  at  the  Circle  Bar  in  time  to  prevent  Dun 
lavey  from  carrying  out  his  design  to  kill  Hollis. 
No,  he  told  himself  as  he  rode,  he  could  not  pre 
vent  him  from  killing  Hollis,  should  he  catch  the 
latter  unprepared,  but  he  promised  himself  that 
Dunlavey  should  not  escape  punishment  for  the 
deed. 

He  had  had  some  hope  that  Dumavey  would 
accept  his  defeat  philosophically.  The  latter 
was  not  the  only  man  he  had  seen  who  had  been 
defeated  by  the  law.  Over  in  Colfax  County 
and  up  in  Wyoming  he  had  dealt  with  many  such 
men,  and  usually,  after  they  had  seen  that  the 
law  was  inevitable,  they  had  resigned  themselves 
to  the  new  condition  and  had  become  pretty  fair 
citizens.  He  had  imagined  that  Dunlavey 
would  prove  to  be  no  exception,  that  after  the 


first  sting  of  defeat  had  been  removed  he  would 
meet  his  adversaries  half  way  in  an  effort  to 
patch  up  their  differences.  The  danger  was  in 
the  time  immediately  following  the  realization  of 
defeat.  A  man  of  the  Dunlavey  type  was  then 
usually  desperate. 

So  Allen  communed  with  himself  as  he  rode  at 
a  head-long  pace  down  the  Coyote  trail,  risking 
his  neck  a  dozen  times.  Not  once  since  he  had 
left  Dry  Bottom  had  he  considered  his  own 
danger. 

He  had  been  riding  more  than  half  an  hour, 
and  was  coming  up  out  of  a  little  gully  when 
he  came  upon  a  riderless  pony,  and  close  by  it, 
browsing  near  a  clump  of  shrubbery,  another. 
He  recognized  one  of  them  instantly  as  Dun- 
lavey's,  and  his  teeth  came  together  with  a  snap. 
He  rode  closer  to  the  other  pony,  examining  it. 
On  one  of  its  hips  was  a  brand — the  Circle  Bar. 
Allen's  face  whitened  again.  He  had  arrived 
too  late.  But  he  would  not  be  too  late  to  wreak 
vengeance  upon  Dunlavey. 

He  dismounted  and  cautiously  approached  the 
brush  at  the  side  of  the  trail.  Parting  it,  he  saw 
the  roof  of  a  cabin.  He  recognized  it;  he  had 
passed  it  a  number  of  times  during  his  explora 
tion  of  the  country.  He  drew  back  and  crept 
crept  farther  along  in  the  brush,  certain  that  he 


FORMING    A    FRIENDSHIP        ' 

would  presently  see  Dunla  vey.  But  be  had  not 
gone  very  far  when  be  heard  voices  and  be  cau 
tiously  parted  the  brush  again  and  peered 
through. 

He  started  back  in  surprise,  an  incredulous 
grin  slowly  appearing  on  his  face.  The  in 
credulity  changed  to  amusement  a  moment  later 
— when  he  heard  Hollis's  Yoke! 

The  young  man  was  seated  on  the  edge  of  the 
porch — smoking  a  pipe!  Near  him,  seated  on  a 
flat  rock,  his  face  horribly  puffed  out,  with  sev 
eral  ugly  gashes  disfiguring  it,  his  eyes  black 
ened,  his  clothing  in  tatters,  one  hand  hanging 
limply  by  his  side,  the  fingers  crushed  and  bleed 
ing;  was  Dunlavey !  Near  him,  almost  buried  in 
the  sand,  was  a  revolver.  Allen's  smile  broad 
ened  when  he  saw  Dunlavey's  empty  holster. 
Evidently  he  had  met  with  a  surprise! 

While  taking  in  these  details  Allen  had  not 
forgotten  to  listen  to  Holiis  a*  the  latter  talked 
to  Dunlavey.  Apparently  Hollis  had  about 
finished  his  talk,  for  his  voice  was  singularly  soft 
and  even,  and  Dunlavey's  almost  comical  air  of 
dejection  could  not  have  settled  over  him  in  an 
instant. 

...  **  and  so  of  course  I  had  to  thrash  you—* 
you  had  it  coming  to  you.  You  haven't  been  a 
man— you've  acted  like  a  sneak  and  a'cur  all 


372     THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

through  this  business.  You  made  a  thrashing 
inevitable  when  you  set  Yuma  on  Nellie  Hazel- 
ton.  You'll  have  plenty  of  marks  to  remind  you 
of  the  one  you  gave  me  that  night."  He  pointed 
to  his  cheek.  "  I've  got  even  for  that.  But  I 
think  I  wouldn't  have  trimmed  you  quite  so  bad 
if  you  hadn't  tried  to  shoot  me  a  few  minutes 
ago." 

He  puffed  silently  at  his  pipe  for  a  short  time, 
during  which  Dunlavey  sat  on  the  rock  and 
squinted  pathetically  at  him.  Then  he  resumed : 

"  I've  heard  people  talk  of  damned  fools,  but 
never,  until  I  met  you,  have  I  been  unfortunate 
enough  to  come  into  personal  contact  with  one. 
I  should  think  that  when  you  saw  the  soldiers 
had  come  you  would  have  surrendered  decently. 
Perhaps  you  know  by  now  that  you  can't  fight 
the  United  States  Army — and  that  you  can't 
whip  me.  If  you've  got  any  sense  left  at  all 
you'll  quit  fighting  now  and  try  your  best  to  be  a 
good  citizen." 

He  smiled  grimly  as  he  rose  from  the  porch 
and  walked  to  where  Dunlavey  sat,  standing 
over  him  and  looking  down  at  him. 

"Dunlavey,"  he  said,  extending  his  right 
hand  to  the  beaten  man,  "  let's  call  it  quits. 
You've  been  terribly  worked  up,  but  you  ought 
to  be  over  it  now.  You  ought  to  be  able  to  see 


FORMING  A   FRIENDSHIP     373 

that  it  doesn't  go.  I've  thrashed  you  pretty 
badly,  but  you  and  your  men  used  me  up  pretty 
well  that  night  and  so  it's  an  even  thing.  Let's 
shake  and  be  friends.  If  you  show  signs  of 
wanting  to  be  a  man  again  I'll  withdraw  the 
charge  of  cattle  stealing  which  I  have  placed 
against  you,  and  I  imagine  I  won't  have  any 
trouble  in  inducing  Allen  to  call  off  that  auction 
sale  and  accept  settlement  of  the  claim  against 
you." 

Until  now  Dunlavey  had  avoided  looking  at 
the  outstretched  hand.  But  now  he  looked  at  it, 
took  it  and  held  it  for  an  instant,  his  bruised  and 
swollen  face  taking  on  an  expression  of  lugu 
brious  self-pity. 

"  I  reckon  I've  got  it  in  the  neck  all  around," 
he  said  finally.  "  But  I  ain't  no  squealer  and 

I've  got "  His  gaze  met  Hollis's  and  his 

eyes  gleamed  with  a  reluctant  admiration.  "  By 
God,  you're  white!  I  reckon  you  could  have 
tore  the  rest  of  me  apart  like  you  did  my  hand." 
He  held  up  the  injured  member  for  inspection. 

Allen's  grin  could  grow  no  broader,  and  now 
he  showed  his  increased  satisfaction  with  a  sub 
dued  cackle.  He  backed  stealthily  out  of  the 
shrubbery,  taking  a  final  glance  at  the  two  men. 
He  saw  Hollis  leading  Dunlavey  toward  a  small 
water  hole  at  the  rear  of  the  cabin ;  saw  him  bath- 


374,    THE   COMING   OF   THE  LAW 

ing  Dunlavey's  injured  hand  and  binding  it  with 
his  handkerchief. 

Then  Allen  proceeded  to  his  pony,  mounted, 
and  departed  for  the  court  house  to  tell  Judge 
Graney  the  news  that  kept  his  own  face  con 
tinually  in  a  smile. 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

AFTERWARD 

FROM  Razor-Back  ridge  the  big  basin 
spread  away  to  the  Blue  Peak  mountains. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  ridge  began 
the  big  plain  on  which,  snuggled  behind  some 
cottonwood  trees,  were  the  Circle  Cross  build 
ings.  From  where  Hollis  and  Nellie  Hazelton 
sat  on  the  ridge  they  could  look  miles  down  the 
Coyote  trail,  into  Devil's  Hollow;  could  see  the 
two  big  cottonwood  trees  that  stood  beside  Big 
Elk  crossing,  above  which,  on  the  night  of  the 
storm,  Hollis  had  been  attacked  by  Dunlavey's 
men.  Back  on  the  stretch  of  plain  above  the 
basin  they  could  make  out  the  Circle  Bar  build 
ings,  lying  close  to  the  banks  of  the  river. 

It  was  in  the  late  afternoon  and  the  sun  had 
gone  down  behind  the  Blue  Peaks,  though  its 
last  rays  were  just  touching  the  crest  of  the  ridge 
near  Hollis  and  Nellie.  He  had  called  her  at 
tention  to  the  sinking  sun,  telling  her  that  it  was 
time  they  started  for  the  Circle  Bar. 

'  Wait,"  she  said ;  "  someone  is  coming  up  the 

375 


376    THE  COMING  OF  THE  LAW 

Coyote  trail.  I  have  been  watching  him  for  ten 
minutes." 

Hollis  faced  the  trail  and  watched  also.  In  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  the  horseman  came  out  of 
Devil's  Hollow.  Hollis  and  Nellie  could  sec? 
him  plainly  as  he  guided  his  pony  around  the! 
huge  boulders  that  filled  the  place.  Hollis 
smiled  whimsically. 

"  It's  the  poet,"  he  told  Nellie,  catching  her 
gaze  and  grinning  widely  at  her.  "  I  sent  him 
to  Dry  Bottom  this  noon  for  the  mail — Potter  is 
going  to  stay  in  town  over  night." 

For  an  instant  it  seemed  that  Ace  would  not 
see  them,  and  Hollis  rose  from  the  rock  on  which 
he  had  been  sitting  and  halloed  to  him.  He  re 
sponded  with  a  shout  and  urged  his  pony  up  the 
steep  side  of  the  slope  and  then  along  the  crest 
until  he  came  within  a  few  feet  of  where  they 
sat.  He  dismounted  and  came  forward,  grin 
ning  broadly. 

"  Takin'  the  view?  "  he  questioned.  His  eyes 
twinkled.  "  Sometimes  there's  a  heap  of  poetry 

could  be  got  out  of  this  county.  But "  and 

his  eyelashes  flickered  slightly — "  a  fellow's  got 
to  be  in  the  right  frame  of  mind  to  get  it  out. 
I  reckon  you  two " 

"I  suppose  you  got  the  mail?"  interrupted 
Hollis,  grimacing  at  him. 


AFTERWARD  877 

"  I  sure  did,"  returned  the  poet,  "  one  letter. 
I  reckon  the  blacksmith'll  be  kickin'  because  I've 
been  galivantin'  around  the  country  for  one  let 
ter.  Here  it  is."  He  passed  an  envelope  to 
Hollis,  and  the  latter,  with  a  quick  glance  at  the 
legend  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  tore  it  open 
and  read.  It  was  from  Weary. 

Dear  boss  i  got  cleaned  out  agin  what  did  you 
send  me  a  hundred  dollars  for  you  might  have  knowed 
that  id  make  a  gol  darned  fool  of  myself  with  so 
much  coin  i  never  could  keep  no  coin  no  how  but  its 
all  right  anyway  cause  me  an  eds  comin  home  tomor 
row  eds  all  right  except  bein  a  littel  week  which  the 
doc  says  he  git  over  in  a  littel  while, 
ta  ta. 

WEARY. 

P.  S.  i  might  have  telegraphed  but  ed  says  it  dont 
make  no  difference  cause  the  letter  will  git  there  quick 
enough  any  way  an  hes  afraid  a  telegram  will  scare 
some  one.  im  dam  glad  i  got  a  return  ticket. 

WEARY. 

After  reading  the  letter  Hollis  passed  it  over 
to  Nellie,  watching  her,  his  eyes  alight  with  sat 
isfaction. 

"Oh!  "she  said.  "Oh!"  The  letter  dropped 
from  her  hand,  was  caught  by  the  breezes  and 
swirled  several  feet  distant.  Ace  sprang  to  re 
cover  it.  When  he  turned,  the  letter  in  hand,  he 


378     THE   COMING   OF   THE   LAW 

saw  something  that  brought  a  huge  grin  of  sym 
pathy  to  his  face.  But  mingled  with  the  sym 
pathy  was  another  emotion. 

"  Boss,"  he  said,  as  Hollis,  disengaging  him 
self,  turned  and  faced  him,  "  I've  writ  quite  a 
nice  little  thing  on  '  Love.'  Mebbe  you'd  like 
to " 

He  caught  Hollis's  frown  and  immediately  re 
treated  to  his  pony,  his  grin  broadening  as  he 
went.  He  cackled  with  mirth  as  Hollis's  voice 
reached  him. 

"  Ace,"  it  said  gravely,  "  don't  attempt  to 
write  a  poem  on  '  Love '  until  you've  had  some 
experience." 

"  You  havin*  yours  now?  "  insinuated  Ace,  as 
he  mounted  his  pony. 

He  alone  caught  Hollis's  reply.  It  was  an 
expressive  wink. 


THE  END 


DATE  DUE 


APR  12 

1968 

APR  12 

1968(7 

KIN  1 

5  wi 

OUII   JL 

f.'/jD     >:j    ! 

>  1971  7 

APR     1 

19I1Sfi 

INK  JUN' 

171979 

APR1 

1  1978  1 

GAYLORD 

PRINTED  IN  US    A. 

3  1210  00080  4813 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

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